


More Precious Than Gold

by Denstort



Category: Muse (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe- Angst- Romance, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-13
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-03-07 10:40:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 31,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3171748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denstort/pseuds/Denstort
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's something missing from the world....and they thought it would never be found again. But they were wrong. It would change the world and it would change one Dominic Howard's life forever......</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Why had his parents cursed him? He’d asked himself that question many times. Why had they cursed him with….he couldn’t even think the word.

But it had marked him as different, or in the words of his ‘tribe’ a freak.

When he was small, he was ripped from his mother and he never saw her or his father again. 

But he knew why, as he’d been cruelly told; they had been killed, to stop them bearing anymore ‘cursed’ children. He wasn’t sure why they hadn’t killed him, but he wished they had.

His life had become one of slavery and beatings, and he had no doubt that his end would come at the hands of one of his ‘tribe’.

So, this was his life…until it ended in a hail of bullets.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A miracle..........

No-one was sure what had happened, or how, and the history books didn’t explain it.

It just happened gradually.

Over many years, centuries even, the greatest scientific minds had tried and failed to work out how it had happened. And those great minds had tried to rectify it, but the failures were heart-breaking.

Yes, they could replicate it…but it wasn’t the same; they were just artificial copies…toys.

So now it was just a dream….a dream that everyone shared, but knew would never be fulfilled.

*********************

Dominic Howard sighed; the world felt decidedly the same. He should be happy, his family was wealthy and important, and he had the best that his world could offer.

But there was something missing…a splash of colour. Not clothes, or grass, or the sky, all the colours were present; except where it mattered the most…. He missed it, like everyone else.

But Dominic was lonely, not for friends; he had plenty of those. His heart wasn’t complete; he hadn’t found his soul-mate.

Oh, he’d dated, but they were fleeting and meant nothing. Sure, they were beautiful boys and then men, but still…they weren’t right.

He didn’t have to work, but he wanted to, and his job with the Foundation was rewarding.

***************

Morning, Dom,” Tom Kirk said as he walked in.

“Morning,” he replied. “How are our babies?”

“Oh, lively, as you’d expect. Did you see the news last night?” 

“Nope, the news is boring, all politics and celebrities’.”

“You should have, there was a report about a sighting.”

“Of what, a tiger or a white rhino?”

“No, a sighting, sighting.”

Dominic let out a snort.

“Now, that is ridiculous. I’d rather believe in tigers and white rhinos.”

“Seriously, they’re sending a team into the outlands to investigate. If it’s true, you know what that means. They’ll be coming here.”

Dominic smiled, “And how likely is it, that if it is true, we’ll get anywhere near?”

“I know, but what if it is? Can you imagine?”

“I try not to. Who’s leading the team?”

“Probably Matthews, which means Chris and Morgan are out there…lucky sods.”

“Yeah…..the outlands are such fun. Forget that and let’s get on, shall we?”

********************

“Be on your toes,” the nearest soldier said.

Chris Wolstenholme looked at Morgan Nicholls; he looked as nervous as he felt. They weren’t soldiers and the guns were making them nervous.

“Do you think it’s true?” he said.

“Who knows…but I do know outlanders are a violent lot.”

The soldier in charge glared at them, and they both fell silent. They looked down at the encampment below.

At first all they could see were outlanders, some carrying weapons, others working.

Then they almost let out a gasp of shock…..it was true, really true.

They watched the new arrival with awe, then dismay as the person was pushed by one of the outlanders. The person stumbled and fell.

The same outlander shouted something and hauled the person up, by their hair…that wasn’t right…so not right.

Then the outlander struck the person and a breeze brought the words the outlander was shouting to their ears.

“Filthy little freak….next time you run, I’ll break your legs.”

The outlander struck the person again, and that seemed to be too much for the soldiers.

The attack was swift and brutal, but the outlanders seemed to know what they were after. The same outlander once again grabbed the other person and began pulling them towards the trees.

“Don’t let them get into the trees. Take that son of a bitch out!”

One shot sounded above the rest of the gunfire, and the outlander fell to the ground. The person that he’d been dragging went down with him, as the outlanders hand tightened in death.

“Get down there!” the soldier in charge shouted.

Chris and Morgan found themselves running, whilst bullets were still flying.

But then their attention was on the person, and for a few moments they could only stare. Then they went into their work mode.

Morgan reached out and touched the person, who yelped and flinched away; the person was terrified.

Morgan looked at Chris and they both said.

“Sedative.”

Morgan reached out again, which drew the person’s attention, and Chris sprayed the sedative in the person’s face, and Morgan caught the person as they fell.

The gunfire soon stopped, the encampment now empty. The soldiers were standing around and staring at the person.

“For god’s sake, this isn’t a bloody circus. Call the transport and get those bodies removed. It won’t be long before they’re back.”

“I can’t believe it,” Chris said and touched the person’s head.

“The Foundation is going to go crazy,” Morgan said.

“Never mind the Foundation…thy city…the bloody world.”

**********************

Dominic was rudely awakened by his phone. He looked at the caller ID.

“Tom, its three in the morning.”

“Get to the lab.”

“What….why?”

“Dom, it’s true, what the news said…they’ve found one.”

Dominic was suddenly very awake and dressed in record time. He broke several speed limits and cursed his pass for being too slow. He ran up the stairs and didn’t stop until he entered quarantine.

He saw a bewildered and excited Tom, Chris and Morgan.

But he went straight to the window of the observation room.

He blinked, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Lying on one of the beds was something and someone that could change the world.

It was a man, that wasn’t the miracle, nor was the pale skin, although it was wondrous……it was the shock of dark hair.


	3. Chapter 3

The last thing he remembered was gunfire and the screams of the innocents in his tribe. He’d seen flashes of uniforms and then the unmistakable accents….city-dwellers.

He might be a slave amongst his own people, but he was still an outlander, and his fear of city-dwellers could never be beaten out of him.

The next thing he knew was the sounds of machines and too many city-dweller voices. His mind screamed at him to run, but his body wouldn’t co-operate. Then he felt hands and he fell back into darkness.

************************

Dominic stared; it wasn’t possible, not after three centuries. He thought he heard his name as he continued to stare.

“Howard!”

He jumped and looked round; it was Professor Matthews.

“I take it you want to be part of what’s going on in there?”

He nodded dumbly.

“Then suit up.”

Minutes later he was taking blood from the impossibility, and carrying over to the scanner.

“Blood type is O-negative, he’s anaemic. White blood cell count is slightly elevated.”

“What about Genus Syndrome?”

There was silence as Dominic took a pipette full of purple liquid and let a few drops fall into the blood. He held his breath.

There hadn’t been a case of Genus in the cities for nearly half a century. It had been a devastating disease, killing thousands, and he thanked the Foundation that they had found a vaccine.

But the outlands, no-one knew.

He only took a breath when there was no tell-tale separation…oh thank the Foundation.

“Negative for Genus.”

Dominic could feel the relief in the room; it would have been a tragedy if the man had been infected, and he shuddered at what that would have meant.

“Good, good,” Professor Matthews said. “Give him a bolus of broad spectrum antibiotic, and synth some iron rich O-neg. Right, let’s have a closer look at him, shall we?”

There were murmurs of ‘barbaric and ‘sweet Foundation’ and Dominic was mortified.

The man’s back was criss-crossed with scars; some old and faded, some still red and angry. 

There was a long scar across his abdomen, and signs that at some time bones had been broken. 

 

Dominic didn’t doubt it was pure chance that the bones had healed correctly, and that the man hadn’t died of an infection; he was a survivor.

“Well, we’ve done all we can, for now,” Professor Matthews said. “Do I have to remind everybody that this does not go beyond this room? Not even your families, not one word. Back to your other work, except you Howard.”

Dominic thought he’d done something wrong, but the Professor didn’t look angry.

“First thing tomorrow, you have an appointment with the Board. Nine o’clock sharp, don’t be late.”

**********************

Dominic hadn’t been this nervous…actually, he’d never been this nervous. His eyes were glued to the large set of doors in front of him.

“Mister Howard, you can go in now,” the PA said.

He wiped his palms on his trousers and with shaking hands, walked over and opened the door. He couldn’t help but stare…….the Board.

“Please sit,” a voice said.

“Dominic, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir” he managed to say.

“Don’t be nervous, you are not here for a negative reason.”

“You have a degree in psychology and social interaction, do you not?” another Board member said.

“Yes ma’am, it was my first choice, before I studied genetic biology.”

“Excellent, you have experience in that field?”

“I did a three year internship at the Foundation Hospital in City Four, ma’am”

“A very good hospital.”

“You have already had some contact with the man down in isolation?”

“Only a few minutes, sir.”

“Well, you’re about have a lot more than a few minutes. We have a special assignment for you.” 

“We want you to become the main carer for this man.”

Dominic couldn’t help himself and asked, “Why?”

He winced as soon as he said…no-one questioned the Board.

“Good question, and no blind obedience, excellent. He is the right candidate.”

Candidate….candidate for what?

“Do you understand the historical and social consequences of this man even existing?”

Dominic nodded; it would be seismic.

“You are also aware that he is an outlander?”

He nodded again.

“We need to know if this man is mentally and emotionally stable, but this facility is not the correct place for such an assessment. When this man is judged to be medically fit, you will be taking this man into your home.”

Dominic blinked…what?

Again he found himself questioning the Board.

“Is that wise, sir. Won’t that cause a panic or a riot?”

“That has been accounted for, for all intents and purposes, to anyone that asks, he is a brand know prototype replica….being tested of course for its realism.”

“We do however realise that this will be a huge upheaval in your life, but we do need an answer now.”

What else could Dominic say but yes.

“Excellent, then your assignment begins now. From now on you will be his only contact within this facility.”

“May I remind you, Dominic that this could be a turning point in our world’s history and we must get this right. He is a miracle, one we cannot afford to spoil.”

Dominic left the room in a daze, unaware of how it was going to change, not just his professional life, but his personal life, forever.

************************

The next time he knew anything, he realised he wasn’t in his village anymore; he was in the heart of what he would consider hell. But how could it be hell when he thought he could hear the voice of an angel, and it was talking to him in a way that no-one had ever talked to him in his life.

“Honestly, you would think even outlanders would at least let you bathe.”

He felt hands on him again, but they were gentle. Then he felt warmth on his chest.

“Dear Foundation, you’re filthy…is there a person under all this dirt?”

He wanted to see if it was an angel, or if it was just a dream. He slowly opened one eye, hoping that it wasn’t just a dream.

“Well, hello there,” the voice said.

He opened the other eye and found himself looking into eyes the colour of rain clouds...and he thought he must be dead…because it was an angel.


	4. Chapter 4

Dominic studied the man and realised he was filthy. He filled a bowl with warm water, but he wrinkled his nose at the antibacterial soap; at least he had found a soft cloth.

As he began cleaning the man’s face he began talking to him, thinking that the man might hear him, and it would get him used to his presence. He marvelled at the man’s skin; it was almost alabaster, such a contrast to his own.

The man’s features were delicate, but not fragile, and Dominic swore you could cut glass with those cheekbones. 

He started washing the man’s chest, trying his best not to notice the scars that were now being revealed; how many beatings had the man suffered?

He stopped when he thought he saw the man’s breathing hitch; the sedative must be wearing off.

He turned away to rinse out the cloth and when he looked back, he saw that one of the man’s eyes was half open.

“Well, hello there,” he said.

Then both the man’s eyes opened….sweet Foundation, they were the most startling shade of blue. 

He smiled, but the man didn’t smile back and he jumped when the man suddenly reached out and touched his face, those eyes wide with….was that wonder?

He couldn’t help the laugh that escaped and regretted it instantly when the man pulled his hand away.

He decided to ignore it and placed the cloth on the man’s chest…but froze when the man growled…actually growled at him. He was bluntly reminded that the man, although a miracle was still an outlander, and would have a deep fear of people from the cities.

But he wasn’t going to let himself be intimidated.

“Now, that’s not polite,” he said in a stern tone.

He wasn’t expecting the man to flinch, nor see fear in those eyes.

How in Foundation’s name was he going to deal with this unpredictable miracle; he had to gain his trust.

So he took a risk and said, “I take it you want to wash yourself, I’ll get you some clean water.”

He took another risk by turning his back on the man, and was somewhat relieved when he wasn’t attacked. He   
turned back and put the bowl on the small table and turned away again, giving the man some privacy.

He’d had the foresight to bring some of his clothes that he thought might fit the man; he’d arrived wearing nothing but rags, and they had been incinerated.

“There are some clothes in the bag by your bed,” he said.

After a few minutes he heard the sound of clothes rustling, and only when there was silence did he turn back.

“Well, that’s better,” he said, trying not to think about how the clothes accentuated the man’s lithe figure. He moved forward, but stopped when he saw the man visibly tense; the man was flightier than a deer.

“There’s no need to be afraid,” he said, knowing that it was not quite the truth.

The man had been deemed medically fit and he was going to take him home, and his ‘assignment’ was about to   
truly start.

However, he wasn’t happy with the arrangements to transport the man to his house…no, he wasn’t happy at all.

********************

This city dweller was confusing, he thought. Not that he’d ever seen a city dweller before, not until they had raided his village.

Now this city dweller was talking to him and treating him like a person; which was a foreign to him as a city dweller. But that didn’t mean he trusted the city dweller, just because he’d let him wash and gave him clothes.

He’d learnt not to trust kind words and smiles; he had the scars to prove it.

The city dweller was saying something about home…whatever that meant. And he was right not to trust the city dweller when he saw the soldiers.

********************

“For Foundation’s sake, don’t drag him like he’s a dog!” Dominic shouted.

The man had reacted exactly as he had told his so called ‘betters’ that he would.

“Stop…just stop!” he yelled

The soldiers stopped and looked at Dominic, then looked at the group of people that were standing nearby.  
Dominic walked over to people; he was angry, and he didn’t care that they were representatives of the Board.

“For the love of the Founders….please, let me do it my way. You can have all the security you want outside. But if you want me to gain his trust, then it will have to be my way.”

He said this in a hushed tone, even though he wanted to yell in their faces.

One of the group walked away and there was a conversation, with the Board no doubt.

A few moments later the person came back and nodded at Dominic. He turned on his heel and went back to the soldiers and the man that was stubbornly refusing to move.

“Let him go,” Dominic said.

The soldiers looked at the group of people and them let go of the man, but stood so that if he made a break for it, they could grab him.

Dominic put himself right in front of the clearly terrified man, acutely aware that the group were watching him. He then risked physical contact and touched the man.

Those oh so blue eyes locked onto him, and it hurt Dominic to see the look that said ‘liar’ directed at him.

“Do you want to stay here?” he said.

The man shook his head.

“Do you want to see the sky and the grass?”

The man nodded.

“Then you have to come with me…I can show you that.”

He watched the man carefully and he saw the man’s eyes soften. He stepped away and held out a hand.

“Come with me.”

He heart suddenly quickened when the man actually took his hand…did he feel the same shock that he did? Be professional, he chided himself, that was never going to happen.

The man seemed quite happy to let him pull him along, but Dominic could feel him pause every few paces; no doubt he was keeping a wary eye on the soldiers that were following.

“They’re only here to stop you hurting yourself by running. The roads are busy and you’re probably not traffic savvy.”

He didn’t want to say that if he ran out into traffic, drivers wouldn’t know that he wasn’t a replica and….no, he didn’t want to think about that.

The man baulked at getting in Dominic’s car, and it took him a good twenty minutes and the threat of the soldiers physically picking him up and putting him in to persuade him to get in. He tried to claw his way out when the on board computer registered a passenger and the seat restraints wrapped themselves around the man.

“Stop moving, they’ll just get tighter!” Dominic had to shout; it was the only way to stop the man.

After being in the car park for nearly forty minutes, he finally drove the car out of the park. He glanced at the screen and could see the black vehicle following him. He knew there would be a drone hovering above…the Foundation’s ‘supervision’.

He sighed and glanced at his passenger, who hadn’t moved since his experience with the restraints. He switched the car to auto-drive and gave all his attention to the man, who was staring out of the window.

“Bit bewildering, isn’t it? You’re used to mountains and desert…not steel and glass.”

The man turned his head away from the window and stared at him…and sweet Founder, he was crying.

Of course, this must seem like hell to him.

“Shade,” he said and the windows darkened.

“I’m sorry, this is too much for you isn’t it?”

The man of course didn’t reply and Dominic was beginning to wonder if he was mute.

A beep told him that they were approaching his home; finally they would get some privacy. 

Once again it took fifteen minutes to get the man out of the car and into his kitchen…but after that the man refused to budge.

“Are you hungry?” he said as he reached into the re-fridge unit.

He turned and.........the man was gone.

He panicked for a second, but only for a second. The house was locked and would only open on his command, so the man must be in the house.

A quick search of the downstairs revealed nothing, so he went upstairs, and it was there that he found the man.

He was in Dominic’s bedroom…actually he was on Dominic’s bed, and he was sleeping. 

Dominic didn’t disturb him, he took a blanket from a cupboard and covered the man, who didn’t even stir.

He found another blanket and tried to get comfortable on the small sofa. He looked at the man….the miracle and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him.

*********************

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re certain that this man is who we think he is?”

“Yes, the DNA scan confirms it, he is a natural brunet. But there is something else far more important.”

“What can be more important than that?”

“He is the direct descendant of Jonathon Bellamy, and is the only one that can control the machine.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a civilised world...very bad things still happen.

Pain, scorching burning pain went through his back and his ribs, wave after wave. But he wasn’t going to give the ‘rejka’ the pleasure of him crying out.

His punisher snarled at his silence and another trail of fire blazed across his already bloodied back.

Another voice called out and the next lash failed to connect. He could hear the argument between his punisher and the other person. He knew the argument wasn’t about his welfare; but on who had the right to punish him.

It was only when the argument moved away did he allow a small whimper to escape. He let his weight drop and he hung like a puppet on metal strings….but he wished the beating had continued and his torturer would kill him.

He knew what was coming up and he knew what was going to happen. He would welcome it, as those that had gone before had welcomed it; welcomed it as a release from the life they were living.

Then perhaps his tribe would believe they were no longer cursed and the innocence in his tribe would no longer suffer.

******************

Dominic was woken from his slumber by noises coming from his bed. For a few seconds he was puzzled as to why he wasn’t in his bed. Then it came to him; there was a miracle in his bed, and the noises were whimpers.

He untangled himself from his covers and walked slowly over to his bed.

The man was asleep…dreaming then, but he seemed very agitated…a bad dream then.

The man’s movements became more animated and Dominic couldn’t let the man continue in whatever bad thing he was dreaming about.

He reached out and touched the man’s shoulder, and found himself flying backwards and onto to the floor, with the man straddling him, one of his kitchen knives at his throat.

The man was snarling something in Outlander, and Dominic wished he’d taken the course at University. But whatever he was saying, he sounded angry, but he could also see fear in those crystal blue eyes.

“I’m sorry….I’m sorry,” Dominic said, hoping that he sounded submissive enough.

The man was staring into his eyes….like he was looking for something. Whatever it was he must have found it, because he got off him and moved to the other side of the bedroom.

Dominic slowly sat up and felt neck where the knife had been held; it had nicked him.

“Well, good morning to you, and I’m not really sure how you got hold of one of my kitchen knives.”

The man stared at him.

“I know you understand me, but I guess you don’t speak Standard and I definitely don’t speak Outlander. I suppose you have a name, mine’s Dominic.”

The man eyed him warily, but cocked his head to one side; almost like he was thinking. Was the man trying to gauge the trust level again?

Then the man spoke in broken Standard.

“Matt…Matthew.”

“Matthew...okay. Don’t be scared…it’s was just a dream.”

“Bad…dream…here…worse.”

“No, here you’re not a slave, its better.”

The man….no, call him Matthew seemed puzzled by his words.

“Slave?”

“Yes, you were a slave.”

Matthew shook his head, “Not slave….punishment.”

Dominic frowned, not at the fact that Matthew’s Standard was getting better, but the fact that he said he wasn’t a slave, and did he say punishment?

“Punishment…for what?”

Matthew touched his hair.

“This.”

“Your hair, why?”

“Is curse.”

Dominic couldn’t see how.

“It’s not a curse.”

Matthew shook his head and said.

“I am cursed….this,” he touched his hair again. “This curses me.”

Dominic wouldn’t believe; here was someone who would cause panic…no, a revolution in the cities, and he thought he was cursed. How in Foundation’s name was he going to deal with this?

He dared to move a little closer and was pleased to see that Matthew didn’t react; although he still held the kitchen knife.

“Why do you think it’s a curse?”

He managed to hold back a flinch when Matthew reached out and touched his hair, and somehow repressed a shiver of delight when fingers were trailed down his face.

“You are golden, like the heavens.”

Then he jumped when one of his hands was grabbed and run through Mathew’s hair and traced over his pale skin.

“I am dark…the Devil’s child.”

“Is that what your tribe believed?”

“Is what all tribes believe…but now I curse all tribes, bring them bad luck.”

Dominic frowned…how could it be unlucky? He thought Matthew was going to go on, but he didn’t. Matthew had moved back and was staring at the floor…with what looked like intense sadness marring those delicate features.

So Dominic had to ask.

“How can being freed from slavery and being cursed be unlucky for the tribes?”

Matthew looked up and there was unshed tears in his eyes.

“I am alive.”

Dominic wasn’t sure what to make of that answer…he supposed it was Matthew being saved from another beating.

But Matthew took in a breath and said something that made Dominic’s insides go stone cold and then run for the bathroom to nearly bring up his stomach.

“The Devil’s Children are burned in the fire….to appease the Gods.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The divide between the Outlanders and the City-Dwellers becomes more apparent... just to let you know, this world is loosely based on Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World"

Dominic only just made it to the bathroom, and he retched until he thought his stomach was coming up. He crawled away from the toilet and managed to pull himself up to the sink and splash his face with water.

His stomach heaved again, when those words came unbidden into his head. It was barbaric…savage…and for want of a better word, an evil sin. He knew the Outlanders were uncivilised, but this? His stomach roiled again…dear Foundation; there had been others. 

He went for the toilet again, retching up stinging bile. How many had died… murdered. How many miracles, gone forever?

He retched again at the thought of Matthew joining them. He moved again and leant against the bath, his head dizzy from it all.

He looked up when he heard soft footfalls; it was Matthew.

He crouched down, his eyes full of confusion.

“Why you sick?”

Dominic swallowed back bile.

“It’s horrible,” he managed to say.

Matthew frowned; he didn’t seem to understand.

“That they burn you.”

Matthew shrugged his shoulders, “Is the way.”

Dominic was almost sick again at how casual Matthew sounded.

He couldn’t keep the horror out of his voice, “You want to die?”

Matthew shook his head, “But I must.”

Dominic gathered his senses.

“No, you don’t have to.”

Matthew’s expression hardened.

“You not decide my fate…city dweller… the god’s decide.”

The words were spat at him with all the hatred Outlanders had for city-dwellers.

Matthew stood and Dominic could see the tension in his body.

“I cannot run. This place like chains. Am still cursed…my people will suffer.”

He walked off then, leaving Dominic with his thoughts and a sour taste in his mouth.

*******************

He couldn’t understand why the city-dweller had that reaction to his words…did they not perform such rituals?

The city-dwellers tanned skin had gone pale, and there was a look of horror on his face, before the city-dweller ran. Why did the city-dweller react like that?

To him it was something that happened; it was the fate of any Devil’s Child.

He’d been forced to watch once, when he was younger. It was a woman, about the age he was now. She did not go with dignity, and the gods had not been appeased; the screams an insult to their ears.

He supposed his fate had been sealed that night. When he reached the required age; he would burn in the fires. Then he heard that no more Devil’s Children had been born, and that he was the last, that his death would be different.

But still he would not beg for mercy. Nor would he scream…the gods would be pleased with his sacrifice.

Then the city-dwellers had raided the village and taken him…and the tribes would remain cursed.

He’d followed the city-dweller, he still could not understand why the city-dweller found it so wrong….did they not have the same belief?

He’d seen Devil’s Children when he sat in the city-dwellers transport. If they did not sacrifice, how did they appease the gods?

Then the arrogance of a city-dweller had come to the fore and the city-dweller had told him that this city-dweller would decide his fate, and not the gods. He couldn’t escape but he did not want to see the city-dwellers face.

What did city-dwellers know? How could he explain that to go to the gods was better than the existence a Devil’s Child led amongst the tribes?

******************

Dominic wasn’t sure how long he’d sat on the bathroom floor, but he had to get up. He had to deal with this, it was what he’d been trained in.

He took a few deep breathes, then got up and went looking for Matthew. Eventually he found him, staring out of the front window. He knew Matthew had heard him, as he could see shoulders tensing.

He was about to speak, when there was a knock at the door...dammit, not now.

The knock came again; he couldn’t ignore it. He glanced at Matthew, who hadn’t moved, so he went to answer the door.

Mister Sanderson from over the road was standing at his door…what did he want?

“Are you okay, Dominic?” I saw someone at your front window. I thought you were being burgled.”

“I’m fine Andrew, I have a…replica.”

“Oh, is it the new experimental model I heard rumours about?”

Dominic nodded, “I’m giving it its first public trail outside the laboratory.”

“They say it’s almost life-like. Can I see?”

Dominic couldn’t say no, as he knew Andrew Sanderson was the best person to spread the news that Dominic had an experimental replica. 

Andrew Sanderson was a replica dealer, the perfect person; if he could be fooled, then it was all good.

He could only hope that the Outlander didn’t react as he had in the bedroom.

Matthew turned at their entrance and Dominic heard Andrew Sanderson small gasp.

“Oh sweet Foundation…exquisite, absolutely exquisite. Can I?”

Dominic saw the tension rising in Matthew’s body as Andrew approached.

“I rather you not, Matthew….”

“Matthew?”

“Yes, it’s part of a brand new software. We’ve finally managed to perfect the self-learning programme. He chose his name, but he’s not used to anyone else beside myself and the other staff, so he might…”

“That’s fine, but Dominic, he’s wonderful, the tone of his skin…that hair, and oh sweet Founder, those eyes. I’ve never seen eyes that colour…well, I’ll leave you to it. Here’s my card and please, if he works out, can you put a good word in for me to the Board. Oh my, I can charge an absolute fortune.”

Dominic pushed Andrew towards the door and out of the house. He was about to close it when Andrew pulled him along the path a little bit.

“You must come to dinner and bring Matthew. It’ll be a good test.”

Dominic nodded, wanting to get back inside. He waved Andrew away and turned, just in time to see a flash of his blue shirt disappear round the corner of his house.


	7. Chapter 7

“No, no,” Dominic said, rooted to the spot. He looked round and up, there were no men in uniforms or drones in the sky, and he wanted it to stay that way.

Finally he managed to make his feet move and he began running; not that he had a hope of Matthew being in sight. So it wasn’t a shock when he wasn’t, but he also knew there was only one place he could have gone.

He sighed and with a grunt of effort he climbed the wall that separated his garden from what was beyond it. He carefully lowered himself and dropped onto the dirt. He turned and stared at the large park that sprawled out in front of him…where the hell did he start?

*******************

His only intention was to get out of the city and then find his way back to the outlands. Yes, he knew he was going back to his death, but he couldn’t let the innocent suffer.

He hadn’t expected an opportunity to present itself so quickly; but he grabbed it and ran. He didn’t understand a lot of what the two city-dweller’s were saying, but it felt like they were talking about him like he was property; so, no different to the life he’d been snatched from.

He’d run to the back of the city-dwellers house and had found a wall in his way. He scaled it easily; he’d climbed larger rock faces. He stood on top of the wall and stared.

He’d never seen so many different trees in one place. This must be the outskirts of the city.

However it soon became obvious to that it was not. He was becoming increasingly agitated, as there were now too many city-dwellers, and they were staring at him.

He’d seen other Devil’s Children, but no-one was staring at them.

He stopped at a large body of water, he wasn’t sure what it was, but it couldn’t be a lake, as there were no fish in it, and he could hear but not see a waterfall, but it didn’t flow like a river. He crouched down and scooped up water to slake his thirst.

He’d been running for some time, the paths he’d followed had been steep and very much the places he’s once hidden in.

He became aware of being watched as he took another mouthful of water. He looked to his left and there was a child, a female city-dweller. 

She had what he recognised as a doll in her arms, and she was staring at him in wide-eyed wonder.

He smiled at her, to show he was friendly.

“Big dolly,” she said.

He blinked, not sure what the little girl meant. Then she held out the doll and he saw it had black hair and pale skin, just like him.

“Big dolly,” she said again and she tottered towards him, one hand outstretched.

He froze, unsure of what to do. He didn’t want to frighten the child, but he didn’t want the child to touch him either. So he was stuck, his   
flight instinct flooding his body with adrenaline; ready to flee.

“Pretty dolly,” the little girl said and her hand touched his hair and he forced down the urge to flinch.

The moment was broken by an adult voice.

“Lissanne, don’t touch.”

What must have been the child’s mother appeared and picked the girl up.

“Is your owner around?” she said, looking around. “Are you newly activated?”

The woman put the little girl down and was about to use her phone when a breathless voice said.

“There’s no need to call the Retrieval Unit, that’s my replica.”

He knew that voice and the male city-dweller he’d just escaped from came into view.

The woman put her phone away and picked up the little girl.

“Is it one of the new models? It’s very life-like.”

“Yes…well, I better get it home and programme its homing system.”

He felt a surprisingly strong hand grip his arm, and he knew his chance to escape had gone…for now. He allowed himself to be pulled along, but he glanced round and the little girl was waving at him.

Now he felt even more confused; he should be receiving a beating for running away, and his head once again spun with what it meant.

************************

Dominic was starting to panic as real fear that he’d lost the most precious thing on the planet started to sink in. He could see it now, standing in front of the Board and trying to explain why he hadn’t called for back-up…and how he would spend the rest of his working life in some distant god-forsaken research base.

He had searched over half of the park and there was no sign of Matthew. What if he had already left the park; it wasn’t that far to the outskirts of the city from here, and Matthew would be lost completely.

Then he saw him and he wasn’t alone.

There was a woman and a small child and she was holding her phone….no, not a Retrieval Unit. He ran over and managed to stop her making the call, and then he began dragging Matthew away.

He was pleased that Mathew wasn’t protesting or dragging his heels, as that would have caused more stares than the pair were already getting….people weren’t used to seeing someone dragging a replica.

He didn’t relax until he was inside the safety of his house and then and only then did he let go of Matthew’s arm.

He rounded on him, angrier at himself than at Matthew.

“That was a stupid thing to do, if you’d been picked up by the Retrieval Unit.”

He wasn’t expecting the reply that he got; actually it was a question, and Matthew’s Standard was vastly improved.

“The little one, she call me a doll…why?”

Dominic’s anger faded away….how the hell did he answer this? He could lie, but he had the feeling that Matthew could see through any lie.

“Because to her you are a doll.”

Matthew blinked.

“I am not a toy.”

“Do you remember seeing other Devil’s Children, not that they are, when we were driving here?”

Matthew nodded, “And in the place with trees and the river that is not a river.”

“The park. Did you not notice anything strange about them?”

Matthew seemed to be thinking, then whatever it was he trying to figure out must have finally clicked into place.

“They all looked the same…like dolls.”

“Yes….like dolls.”

Dominic took a breath before speaking again.

“Because they are dolls, they are not real. They walk and move like they are real, but they aren’t.”

“But I am not like them.”

“No, you are real, but there is a reason why they are not like you?”

He stopped, not sure how Matthew would react to what he was about to say.

“Because there is no-one else like you. You are not a Devil’s Child, you are a miracle. Your hair, your skin, your eyes, everything about you, is a miracle.”

Matthew still didn’t seem to understand.

“Matthew, the ones that were burnt were miracles too, and now you are the only one left, the last. Oh sweet Founder, there’s no way of saying this without scaring you.”

Dominic moved forward and put a hand on Matthew’s shoulder, and felt that Matthew was trembling.

“Matthew, you’re a miracle because the last person with your hair colouring died three hundred years ago.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something happens that is definitely not part of Dominic's job.........

Dominic wasn’t sure what kind of reaction Matthew was going to have to his revelation. Would Matthew even understand, when he could hardly comprehend it himself?

It was history to him…so what would it be to Matthew?

“Matthew?” he said, as the silence grew to an awkward length.

Mathew looked at him; there was confusion in those unique eyes.

“The last?”

Dominic moved closer.

“Yes, no-one knows why, but they stopped being born, and gradually they died out, and until you, we thought there were never going to be any born ever again.”

“I am not cursed?”

“No, never…you’re wondrous, and beautiful.”

Dominic stopped then…..did he just say that out loud?

That made Matthew frown.

“Beautiful? No, you are beautiful…golden.”

Dominic shook his head. “I’m ordinary.”

He jumped when Matthew reached out and touched his face and a wave of electricity went through him.

“No...beautiful.”

Dominic didn’t why he did it, but he did. He leant forward and kissed Matthew. 

Then the warning bells went off in his head and he pulled away.

“I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have,” he stammered. Then his eyes widened in shock….Matthew had started to strip…what the…?

“Stop,” he said, as he tried not to look at Matthew’s well defined chest and stomach.

Matthew stopped undressing, his fingers on the fastening of his trousers.

“Why, you want me…yes?”

Dominic backed away even further, “Just put your shirt on…please.”

Matthew frowned but complied, and Dominic let out a sigh of relief; any longer and he might have done something he regretted.

“Then you not want me?”

Dominic gathered his wits, and Founder forgive me, he did want Matthew.

“I don’t want you,” he said, even though inside he was screaming ‘yes.’

“Then why you kiss me, if you not want me?”

“A mistake,” he lied.

The expression on Matthew’s face went from puzzled to angry, and his eyes flashed electric blue.

“Then do not treat me like you do. Do not feed me…give me clothes…let me sleep on a bed!”

Dominic flinched…these were basic rights for anyone.

Matthew was still talking.

“I am slave…I sleep on floor…I wear rags….I eat scraps….lie down when someone wants me. I am to die for the people…you do not owe me!”

*****************

The last words snapped Dominic out of his stasis.

“And your tribe did!” he yelled. “Fine, you want to be treated like a dog, there’s a space in the garage you can sleep in. I’m sure I can find some rags and some food from the garbage...and I can borrow a leash from next door!”

He was shouting now, his frustration at Matthew’s lack of self-esteem finally getting to him.

With a growl, he closed the gap between himself and Matthew, intending to drag him to the garage.

Matthew went rigid when he grabbed hold of his arm, and let out a snarl that was way too animalistic.

Suddenly the tension and the temperature rose.

Matthew suddenly moved, yanking Dominic towards him, and their lips met in a heated kiss.

Any alarm bells going off in Dominic’s head were ignored and then silenced when he grabbed a handful of Matthew’s hair and pulled, the moan it elicited from the smaller man setting fire to his blood.

Instead of dragging Matthew to the garage he dragged him to his bedroom.

He pressed Matthew against the wall, ripping the buttons off the shirt that had just been re-buttoned and ran his tongue along a prominent collarbone.

Matthew let out a hiss and Dominic nearly flinched when he felt teeth in his neck and then pain. He let out another growl and pulled Matthew   
away from the wall and pushed him down onto the bed.

“So, you’re a biter?” he said in a low voice.

Matthew said something back, it was in Outlander, but whatever it was, it was said with a tone that sounded decidedly dirty, and it was followed by a hand reaching down and touching Dominic exactly where he wanted Matthew to touch him.

The rest of their clothes were hastily removed amidst moans and hissed words. It wasn’t gentle as Matthew proved he was not just a biter as Dominic arched into the rake of nails down his back.

Dominic came with a growl and Matthew followed seconds later, a snarl on his lips…and Dominic didn’t care if he was doing something wrong…he wanted Matthew, the Board be dammed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Dominic wants, he can't have......

Dominic blinked awake, stretched and froze when his hand met warm flesh; it hadn’t been a dream, he’d had sex with Matthew.

He moved carefully and had to stifle a hiss of pain; it had been a while since he’d slept with anyone, and Matthew had been wild and exhilarating.

And someone he should never touch again.

He stepped into the shower, letting the hot water soothe away the ache in his muscles. How the hell was he going to handle this?

He was pretty certain this was not what the Board meant by socialising Matthew. He let out a snort…Matthew wasn’t a dog; although he was nigh on animalistic in the throes of his orgasm.

He stepped out of the shower and it was then that he heard movement, Matthew must have woken up. He wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the door.

Matthew, who seemed to have no problem with being naked, sat cross-legged on the bed….oh, sweet Foundation, he was beautiful. Dominic closed his eyes and let out a breath before speaking.

“Matthew, what happened, it can’t happen again.”

“Do you not want me?”

Oh, he wanted him….did he want him.

“I can’t, it’s not right…not like this.”

Matthew stared at him and he wasn’t sure what was going on behind those sapphire eyes.

“Then you want this not to have happened…you want to forget?”

Dominic nodded dumbly.

Matthew got off the bed and Dominic had to close his eyes again; Matthew’s lithe frame was too much of a temptation.

“This forgotten,” Matthew said into his ear and Dominic heard the bathroom door slam; it felt like it was very much not forgotten.

He dressed, sorted some clothes out for Matthew and went down to the kitchen.

****************

He had his back to the kitchen door, and it was the scrape of chair on wood that told him Matthew was in the room.

“Dominic?” Matthew said, his Standard still had that Outlander inflection.

Dominic turned from the stove and tried not to let the sight of Matthew’s just washed hair get to him.

“Yes?” he replied, concentrating on putting the pancake on a plate.

“So, I am last?”

“Yes.”

“I am like mountain cat and wolf?”

Dominic frowned….where was this going?

“Not really, they’re animals…rare but animals.”

Matthew didn’t speak for a few moments; the pancake in front of him left untouched.

“City-dwellers, they take cat and wolf, and try to make more?”

“Yeah, to try and save the species.”

He really didn’t like the way this was going.

“Is that my fate, to be like cat and wolf…to make more like me?”

Dominic dropped his fork. This so-called uneducated Outlander was way more insightful than he or the Board had given him credit for. He couldn’t find his tongue to rebut the statement.

“Then I am just an animal….locked in cage to breed, to wither and die.” 

Dominic finally found his tongue, and he was annoyed…again.

“For Founder’s sake, you’re not an animal!”

“Then why you rut with me like I am….like I not human…have no heart!”

Matthew spat the words at him, hitting his own chest.

Dominic sat down heavily, his heart lurching.

“Matthew, I said I didn’t want you, but I lied. You are the most beautiful, intoxicating person I have ever met. I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you, and yes wanting you. But I can’t.”

Then Matthew asked the eternal question.

“Why?”

“Why, because you are unique…more precious that gold. I want to keep you for myself, but you belong to the world. You are the miracle this   
world has been waiting for…well, you will be.”

Matthew frowned, “But we can be together.”

Dominic shook his head, “Not like that…you would be taken away from me, and I don’t want that.”

“So, we must forget?”

“Yes,” Dominic answered. “But we can be friends…if you want?”

“Friends…this mean I stay here…other mean I go away.”

Dominic nodded.

“Then I friend…I not want to go away, from you.”

Inside Dominic was leaping around.

“Okay, friends it is. Now, how about I make you a little piece of heaven.”

*************************

The man stood at the door, waiting for an answer to his knock. The door opened a crack.

“I need to see him.”

“He’s busy.”

“No…please, tell him it’s important…huge. Tell him it’s about the Deus Machina.”

A few moments later the door was fully opened and he followed the person into the house, and down into an overly large basement. 

It was full of computers and busy people, but it was the man standing in the centre of it all that he wanted to see.

“James tells me you have something important to tell me?”

“Yes…yes,” he said, producing a tablet.

He handed it over to the other man, who took in a sharp breath.

“They’ve found him…the key to the Machine.”


	10. Chapter 10

Mathew was very confused by the city-dweller reactions. He had laid down with the city-dweller and he had felt the heat. He had never felt the heat with the others that he had laid down with…..surely the city-dweller must have felt it too. But when the city-dweller had awoken he had told him he did not want him…did not want to lay with him again.

He wanted him to forget…how could he forget the heat? He’d felt the heat and that meant only one thing, the city-dweller was his one. To feel the heat with someone meant you became a pair; no matter your sex or station.

But he had been nothing and the ones that he had been forced to lay with were not looking for the heat…just sex.

How could he forget….but if that is what the city-dweller wanted, then he would not forget but he would live with the fact that he would live what was left of his life connected to a soul that did not feel the heat for him….so he lied and said he would forget.

As he stood in the shower, wondering at how city-dwellers could be so wasteful with their water, he came to the conclusion that he was here for only one reason. He was like the animals the marauders caught for them; like the mountain cat and the wolf…to be tamed and then bred like some rare prize.

So he asked the city-dweller and the city-dweller had said no. That confused him further and it angered him.

“Then why did you rut with me like am animal…not human…no heart!?”

Then he felt even more confused when the city-dweller had said he did want him…to lay down with him.

“We can be together.”

But the city-dweller had said that they could not, or he would be taken away. He did not want that…to be taken from the one you had felt the heat with was soul destroying.

Then the city-dweller….no Dominic had said that they could be friends.

“Then I stay here…want to stay here.”

That seemed to make Dominic happy; then he would be his friend.

Then Dominic had put food in front of him…to share food was a sign of friendship. But he had never seen food like this; whatever it was it was covered in dark honey. 

He picked the whole thing up and shoved it in his mouth…and his whole mouth exploded….it was sweet and it tasted like the food of the gods. He swallowed the food and looked expectantly at Dominic.

********************

Dominic watched as Matthew eyed the pancake, then good grief, he picked the whole pancake up and crammed it in his mouth. But he forgot the shocking manners when he saw the look on Matthew’s face.

It went from surprise to delight…and then to something that dear Foundation could only be described as a look of ecstasy…and that look went straight to his groin.

He turned away, not just because the next pancake was almost done, but to try and get control of what seemed to have become a suddenly rampant libido. He turned back with the pancake that was supposed to be his but he saw the look on Matthew’s face and put it on his plate instead, and poured maple syrup over it.

Matthew was about to pick it up with his hand.

“No, no….please, use a fork.”

Matthew looked at him, then went for the pancake again.

This time he smacked Matthew’s hand with the spatula.

Matthew glared at him; then growled at him.

“Oh no, this is not the Outlands. Here we eat with knives and forks and spoons, here we have manners and you will learn…so, fork.”

He put a fork in front of Matthew, who looked at it, then at him.

“Seriously, you don’t know what a fork is?”

The look Matthew gave him in return could only be described as indignant.

“I know fork…slaves not have fork…just hands.”

“Well, here you’re not a slave. So, you use a fork, let me teach you.”

But Matthew picked up the fork and to Dominic’s dismay still shoved the whole pancake in his mouth. He rolled his eyes as the sticky syrup dripped onto his antique table.

He shook his head but smiled, because there was an amused glint in Matthew’s eyes…he’d been had.

He made another batch of pancake batter and marvelled at how much that little frame packed away. But at the back of his mind was the question, what would happen to Matthew when it was decided that he was ready for whatever the Board were going to do…would he loose Matthew then?

He didn’t like that…not at all. But if he was going to lose Matthew, then he would be as honest as he could with him.

************************

“Matthew?” he said, waiting patiently till he’d finished the last pancake, and he tried not to smile when Matthew tried not to put sticky fingers on the table by wiping them on what had been one of his tee-shirts.

“Matthew?” he said again.

“Do you remember the park?”

Matthew nodded, “Little city-dweller, she think I doll.”

“Yes.”

“But I real person.”

“Yes, but when we go outside, you will be seen as a doll.”

Matthew frowned.

“Why, I am person…not doll.”

“Do you remember me telling you that people with your hair and skin colour died out three hundred years ago? Well, people missed that…but….I don’t think you understand.”

Matthew interrupted by standing and moving over to him. He was as close as he could get without touching, and his eyes that were now the colour of the purest sapphire were staring right into his.

“I understand loss,” he said, in the softest of voices. “You heart, it never feel whole.”

Dominic swallowed... Matthew’s proximity was intoxicating; this so called savage had nailed how a whole world felt in just a few words.

“Y-yes,” he stammered and moved away, before he was tempted to make another mistake.

“So I must be as those other toys?”

Dominic finally recovered his scattered senses.

“They’re not really toys, we call them replicas. They are made to look and act like people.”

“But they are not…they are…”

Matthew stopped, his brow furrowed in concentration; perhaps he didn’t have the vocabulary to describe it.

He was going to say something when Matthew said.

“Automatons.”

Dominic blinked…how did he know a word that not even people in the cities used?

“Where did you hear that word?”

Matthew seemed as puzzled as him.

“I do not know…it was not there, then it was.”

Then Matthew frowned again, and asked a question that made Dominic go cold.

“Dominic…what is God Machine?”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Matthew something that is definitely not a miracle...and Dominic finally feels the heat....

“Sit still!” Dominic said; he’d lost count of how many times he’d said that in the last fifteen minutes. He was beginning to wish he’d put a sedative in Matthew’s food.

Ever since Matthew had asked that question, it was like something had been switched on inside Matthew’s head. The things that were coming out of his mouth, were things that Matthew shouldn’t know, and it was frightening.

What made it worse was the fact that Matthew didn’t seem to realise he was saying them.

As the day wore on, the things that Matthew was saying became more and more unsettling, and along with it an idea began to form in his own mind.

It was the reason he was driving towards the outskirts of the city in the middle of the night. He hoped the person he was going to try and see would confirm what he was thinking, and he knew he was taking a huge risk going to see this person.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a hand reach for the control panel.

“No…don’t touch!”

The hand retracted, but a few moments later it reappeared.

Dominic stopped the car and turned to Matthew.

“Can you stop that?!”

Matthew looked at him, wide-eyed at his sharp tone.

“I sorry.”

Dominic sighed, “It’s okay, just sit still until we get to where we’re going."

Matthew let out a huff of air and dear Foundation…that pout.

Dominic turned and began driving again, not sure what to make of the sudden heat that pooled in his stomach.

Sometime later he got out of the car with a “stay there” to Matthew. He stepped up to the camera that turned at his movement.

“My name is Professor Dominic Howard, I want to see Professor Glen Rowe.”

“Step closer to the camera,” a voice said. “And tell your friend to get out of the car.”

“No, not until I know I can see him.”

“Step closer to the camera and tell you friend to get out of the car, “the voice repeated.

Dominic sighed and stepped closer, but didn’t call out to Matthew.

He blinked as what was no doubt a retina scan flickered across his face.

“Well, Professor Howard, you are who you say you are. But your friend still needs to get out of the car.”

Dominic hesitated before speaking.

“Before he does, there’s something you…..”

Suddenly Matthew was right next to him, staring into the camera.

“I am Matthew…I am not doll.”

********************

Matthew yelped when the man pinched him…then growled at him before retreating behind Dominic.

“Sorry, I had to check…unbelievable. Three centuries and he appears...one of a kind.”

Dominic clamped his mouth shut, he wasn’t going to mention that there had been others…not yet. He was yet to trust Professor Rowe.

Professor Rowe narrowed his eyes and looked at Matthew.

“Hmm, do you think he’ll let me take a small punch sample, for a DNA test?”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

Professor Rowe raised an eyebrow and looked at Matthew.

“Would you mind?” he asked.

Matthew looked at Dominic; he looked confused.

“He wants to take a little piece of your skin and flesh. Only a little bit.”

“Okay,” Matthew said.

“I’m afraid this will hurt,” Professor Rowe said.

*******************

“I can’t believe he bit me,” Professor Rowe said as he taped a dressing to his arm.

“You hurt him,” Dominic said, as he was trying to coax Matthew from behind an upturned desk.

“Sorry…but he bit me!”

“Yeah, he’s a biter…come on Matthew, he didn’t hurt you on purpose.”

“Don’t like him,” came the reply.

“Feeling’s mutual,” Professor Rowe said.

“Please Matthew, it won’t happen again, I promise.”

A mop of black hair and a pair of startled cerulean eyes appeared over the top of the desk, and there was deep suspicion in them.

“You’ll have to apologise,” Dominic said.

“Don’t think so, I’ve got a DNA test to run.”

“If you don’t, he won’t co-operate if you have to do anything else, you won’t even get near him.”

The Professor sighed, “Alright, I’m sorry I hurt you…even if you did bite me.”

Matthew stared at him, which made the Professor shift uncomfortably.

“Okay,” he said and stood.

“You should clean and dress that puncture site,” the Professor said, nodding towards a bloody patch on Matthew’s sleeve.

Dominic persuaded Matthew to sit and took the first aid kit from the professor.

“So, Professor Howard?”

“Dominic…please,” he said as he held Matthew’s arm tightly as he wiped the wound with antiseptic. He ignored the growl it elicited and covered the wound, securing it with tape.

“So, Dominic, why have you gone behind the Foundation’s back and brought this miracle here?”

“Professor Rowe…can I call you Glen. There’s something, I don’t know...I thought he picked it up whilst he was in quarantine. Are you familiar with the theory of RNA?”

“Yes, I think it’s more than a theory. What sort of things has he been saying?”

Dominic reeled off a few phrases, which caused the professor to raise his eyebrows.

“You’re right…they’re terms not even used anymore, and you say he’s an Outlander?”

“Yes.”

A beep filled the air and the professor moved back to the reader and looked at the screen.

Dominic frowned when he backed away and started straight at Matthew.

“No…it’s not possible…he can’t be.”

“Professor…Glen, is something wrong?”

Glen looked at Dominic.

“Matthew…he’s a direct descendant of Jonathon Bellamy. I see it now…the high cheekbones….the eyes. I hate to say this, but you can never go home.”

Dominic blinked.

“Why not?”

“Because Matthew could be the trigger for our worst nightmare”

**********************

Matthew didn’t understand a lot of what the man who had hurt him was saying, but he didn’t like how it seemed to affect Dominic.

Ever since he had felt the heat, he could sense Dominic’s moods, and Dominic was agitated; all he wanted to do was calm him.

The man who had hurt him said something about not going home, and that had made Dominic even more agitated…and it was his fault.

He was now watching Dominic pace back and forth across the small room the man had given them.

“Dominic,” he said.

Dominic didn’t stop pacing, so he stepped in front of him, to make him stop.

“Dominic, I sorry.”

Dominic looked at him and frowned.

“Why are you sorry?”

“You no go home…my fault.”

Dominic put a hand on his cheek and he leant into it…the contact with his one like balm to his soul.

“Why do you think it’s your fault?”

“I not understand many words. I understand weapon…understand bloodshed…I am a curse.”

“Oh, Matthew, you’re not,” Dominic said and placed a kiss on his lips.

He saw Dominic’s eyes widen….he had felt it…the heat; then Dominic was kissing him again.

He pushed himself away and said, his voice husky with beginnings of the heat.

“Lay with me, Dominic.”

He breathed Dominic’s name when he trailed fingers down his chest and gently brushed a nipple.

“You are beautiful,” Dominic said. “Tell me, what was it I felt, when I kissed you?”

“It is the heat,” he replied.

“The heat, I don’t understand?”

“Heat makes you want…heat makes you need…..”

He grabbed Dominic’s hand and lowered it.

“Makes you…” he growled, “Makes me yours.”

Dominic responded by rolling him so that he was straddling Dominic.

“Then show me you’re mine,” he growled.

*****************

“M-matthew,”Dominic groaned as Matthew slowly lowered himself onto him. “S-so tight.”

“Only for you,” Matthew said, before letting out a low throaty moan, that made Dominic buck upwards, eliciting the most wanton sound from   
the man on top.

Then Matthew began to move and Dominic felt a rush of what could only be described as animal lust, and soon the only sounds were the groans and moans and whimpers coming from the beautiful creature impaled on him.

With a snarl and a strength Dominic didn’t think he had, he managed to push himself off the bed, and carry Mathew until his back hit the wall.

Then he was lost in what he could only describe as a wave of white hot heat. It burnt through him as he spilt himself inside Matthew, whose own snarls joined his in a primal harmony.

The next thing he knew with any coherence was waking up with Matthew’s head on his chest. He ran a hand through Matthew’s sweat dampened hair, which caused Matthew to shift, murmur something in Outlander and then settle again.

Dominic let out a contented sigh...if that was what Matthew called the heat, then he would gladly burn.

Despite what Professor Rowe had said, he couldn’t believe that the man now sleeping peacefully next to him was nothing more than a trigger for a nightmare weapon.

He pulled Matthew closer and swore that he would never become that; even if it meant they had to run for the rest of their lives.

If he had to die to protect Matthew, he would…Matthew was his and he was Matthew’s.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of Matthew's past is revealed...but something else beckons.

“Matthew.”

Matthew stirred at his name, but was loathe to leave the warmth that was wrapped round him.

“Matthew…”

This time he opened sleepy eyes…was Dominic calling his name? The warmth from Dominic’s body lulled him back to sleep, thinking no more on his name being called. When he woke again, he was still wrapped in Dominic’s warmth; the feel of Dominic’s skin against his made him buzz with contentment.

He and his one had shared the heat and now he could truly feel Dominic’s emotions, and he was getting nothing but happiness and satisfaction.

“Shesai, Dominic,” he whispered. He would protect Dominic, right down to his last spark of life…and he knew he had the skills to do that.

Dominic may think he was a cowed slave, and when they had found him he was…but he had escaped once and was free for a while, and in that time he had met someone who did not think he was a slave or a curse.

He closed his eyes again, but this time he sleep was filled with a dream of that time.

*****************

He’d escaped, but that did not mean he was free. He could not go into the other villages for food and he dare not try and steal. So, when he smelt roasting meat, his hunger overrode his fear and his sense.

He followed the smell of smoke and meat, until he came to a small clearing and there on a spit was a boar, fat dripping into the flames. He still approached warily, and he was within reach of it when he felt a sharp pain, then nothing.

When he woke next, he found he was bound to a wooden post inside a hut. He twisted, trying to break the ropes, but to no avail.

Movement to his right made him stop and he snapped his head round…his captor.

“You hungry?” his captor said.

Matthew nodded and to his surprise, his captor cut his bonds, and a friendship was struck.

For a year, this man, who called himself Gabriel taught him to hunt and how to fight. Matthew had no doubt that Gabriel had been a warrior, but he was like no warrior he’d seen. He did not fight like an Outlander or a marauder; he did not know where Gabriel had learnt his skill.

One evening, before they were due to make the rounds and check the traps, Gabriel had been very quiet.

“Sefa, you are thoughtful tonight.”

“Perhaps, I have been thinking.”

Matthew tensed, was he growing tired of his company?

“No, I’m not growing tired of your company, that’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? Never that…oh I wish I had the word for it in your language.”

Mathew still found Gabriel’s language hard to comprehend and speak, but he tried.

“What word, Sefa?”

Gabriel smiled, “The word is son. You have become like a son to me.”

Matthew blinked…son.

“The word is Esha, Sefa. If I am son to you, then you are Tesha…father to me.”

He couldn’t read the expression on Gabriel’s face, as he took something from his pocket; a leather pouch.

Matthew watched as he unwrapped whatever was inside, and his eyes widened when he saw what it was. It was an armlet, not made of gold or silver, but of carnelian and amber and Blackstone…stones more precious than any metal.

“This belonged to my son, I gave it to him when he reached manhood and became a warrior. He wore it in battle…but no more…a father should not outlive…”

Gabriel shook his head and extended his hand, the armlet sitting on its leather cover.

“You may not be my son by blood, but you are by spirit. You have a warrior’s heart and that will never change, no matter what befalls you.”

“Tesha…Sefa...I...”

“Don’t say anything…honour me and my son by wearing it.”

Matthew took the armlet and placed it on his right arm and Gabriel finally smiled.

“Now, get some rest, tomorrow will be a long day.”

Anger suddenly filled his dream…the armlet was gone, torn from him by the same warrior that had…no, Gabriel was gone...slaughtered like a wild boar, and his anger became red hot.

********************

Dominic had never felt anything like it. Whatever it was. It was something he couldn’t…well, his scientific mind couldn’t comprehend. As they lay entwined in each other’s embrace, he felt a wave of intense happiness wash over him, but it wasn’t coming from himself. Impossibly and he didn’t know how, it was coming from Matthew.

He wasn’t really sleeping, he was just dozing. He felt Matthew shift and he looked down, Matthew’s eyes were open, but those lapis lazuli jewels were hazed with sleep.

Matthew sighed and said something in his own language before closing his eyes again. 

Dominic closed his eyes and this time he fell into sleep, only to be woken abruptly by a noise that sounded like an animal.

For a few moments he was confused, the Professor didn’t have a dog…then he realised it was Matthew.

He was snarling and growling and the look on his face was one of rage.

Dominic’s heart began to race as what was no doubt Matthew’s rage almost overwhelmed him. It nearly did until he saw the blood on the sheet.

Matthew’s hands were tightly clenched and blood was seeping between his fingers.

“Matthew…Matthew! Professor Rowe!”

He tried shaking Matthew but there was no response, the snarls and the growls increased in volume and the blood flowed faster.

The door flew open and a dishevelled Professor Rowe stood in the doorway, wielding a baseball bat.

“Help me! Dominic cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shesai- term of endearment...closest Standard translation- Beloved  
> Sefa- Outlander term of respect for an elder.  
> Tesha- Father  
> Esha- Son


	13. Chapter 13

“Why isn’t he waking up?!” Dominic cried as he tried to hold onto Matthew, who was still growling and snarling.

Professor Rowe was trying to examine the struggling man.

“Can’t think about that now!” he said and produced a hypo.

“Sedative,” he said as he pressed it against Matthew’s neck.

Seconds later Matthew’s snarls had turned to whimpers, then he was silent and still.

Dominic winced at the gouges on Matthew’s palms, and could only watch as Professor Rowe worked efficiently and quickly, cleaning and wrapping bandages around Matthew’s hands.

“Right, as to why he wouldn’t wake up…possibly a night terror, but I can’t be certain. But Dominic, we need to talk.”

**********************

“Dominic, you and Mathew have to get out of the city.”

“Why?”

“Like I said, he could be the trigger for a nightmare.”

“Right, so he’s not a miracle…but a nightmare.”

“Believe what you want, but there’s no denying he’s a direct descendant of Jonathon Bellamy.”

“So, he’s related to a scientist that’s been dead for two-hundred and fifty years.”

“And it’s that fact that means you can never go home. You know the basic theory about RNA, and yes, a lot of scientist believe it’s a load of bollocks. But in that room is living proof that it’s not.”

“But most of what he said was complete nonsense.”

“To you and me, but to others. Dominic, there are people out there who would kill for whatever’s in Matthew’s head, and there are people who would kill to stop other’s getting hold of it. Either way, that miracle in there would be a dead miracle.”

Dominic paled…they would kill Matthew.

“You have to leave Dominic, take Matthew well away from here.”

“Where would we go?”

“That I can help you with. I have friends that can get you out. I’ve already called them, they’ll be here this evening.”

******************

Dominic sighed; he knew his life would change, but he didn’t think it would change to something so serious. Then again, he hadn’t expected to fall in love with the beguiling man he was now watching.

What secrets could there be in that head that someone would murder Matthew to either get at them or keep them hidden?

Matthew shifted and let out what sounded like a frustrated whine; the sedative must be wearing off.

He sat on the bed watching as Matthew gradually came round.

“Hello,” he said when pools of ocean blue eventually focused on him.

“Dominic,” Matthew sighed.

“I was worried about you. You wouldn’t wake up, and you hurt your hands.”

“I dream,” Matthew said. “Good dream…bad dream.”

Matthew suddenly frowned.

“Dominic, why sad?”

Dominic schooled his face back into a smile.

“Not sad, just worried.”

“No worry…we go home?”

Dominic did lose his smile then.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t.”

*************************

“Matthew…”

There was that voice again, calling his name.

“Matthew…I need you.”

The voice was soft but insistent…come to me. He found the call irresistible, but he found his limbs wouldn’t move.

“Matthew…”

He whined in frustration as the voice faded away.

Then his name was being called again, but this time he knew the voice. He opened his eyes to find concerned grey ones fixed on his.

“Hello,” Dominic said, gifting him with a brilliant smile.

“Dominic,” he sighed.

“I was worried about you. You wouldn’t wake up and you hurt your hands.”

“I dream,” he said. “Good dream…bad dream.”

Matthew frowned, Dominic may be smiling, but there was something…his eyes were sad.

“Dominic…why sad?”

“I’m not sad, just worried.”

“No worry, we go home now?”

Dominic lost his smile, “I’m sorry, but we can’t.”

**************************

“What do you mean disappeared? How is that even possible?”

“We don’t know, Professor Howard must have somehow switched off the tracker in his vehicle.”

“Then why wasn’t the tracker we put inside the subject working?”

“We don’t know, a failure in the tech perhaps.”

“So, not only have we lost one of our own, but also the most important discovery in nearly three hundred years.”

“Yes sir.”

“Then you better find them, use whatever resources you need. We want them both back…we want what is inside the subjects head. Tell them to get the extractor ready.”

****************

The man looked up from his work.

“Sir, message from our spy at the Foundation. It seems Professor Howard has absconded with his charge.”

“That’s unexpected, then we have to find them before the Foundation does…find them and put him down.”


	14. Chapter 14

The day wasn’t getting any better for Dominic. He couldn’t get the idea that someone wanted to kill Matthew out of his head; why would anyone want to kill him?

He was also having trouble with Matthew, who was becoming fractious. He supposed it didn’t help that he wasn’t allowed outside and 

Professor Rowe had scowled at him when he’d picked up a piece of equipment.

“Please Matthew, don’t annoy him,” he said as they sat on a couple of crates.

“I not like him,” Matthew said.

“He’s okay, you did bite him.”

“He deserve it.”

Dominic smiled when he saw the amused glint in the outlander’s eyes.

“You’re trouble,” he chided. “Come on, I have to change those bandages.”

They walked into what was the Professor’s laboratory. He was busy doing some experiment and looked up when they entered.

Dominic had to smile when Matthew let out a small growl, and the Professor scowled.

“He needs a muzzle.”

Dominic sobered and gave Matthew a stern look.

“Sorry, he tends to hold a grudge…I think.”

“But you don’t know. There’s a lot you…well, we don’t know. Like, why was he born an Outlander, and were his parent’s brunettes, or where they like everybody else? And are there any more like him out there?”

He stopped when Dominic tensed.

“There are more, where are they?”

It was Matthew that answered.

“They are dead…my parents dead...soon I be dead.”

Dominic put a hand over Matthew’s.

“No it I can help it.”

“No, if we can help it,” Professor Rowe said. “He may be something dangerous, but he doesn’t deserve to be killed because of it.”

*******************

Dominic decided to spend the rest of the day trying to keep Matthew occupied, which somehow turned into heated sex in a dark corner of the warehouse.

Dominic pushed sweat-dampened hair out of his eyes and sighed. He felt a little dizzy, Matthew’s scent was a heady mix of cinnamon and musk.

“We go far away soon,” Matthew said, breaking the moment.

“Yes,” he replied and was pulled into Matthew’s arms.

“I will keep you safe,” he said and to Dominic it sounded like a statement and not just a wish.

Suddenly Matthew let go of him and sat up, looking very much like an alert predator.

“Someone here,” he said.

A few moments later the warehouse doors opened and two men walked in.

Dominic felt Matthew tense.

“Dangerous,” he whispered and pulled Dominic into the shadows.

They heard footsteps and then the Professor’s voice.

“Dominic, Matthew, time to go!”

“Come on,” Dominic said and stepped out from behind the crates, Matthew only a few steps behind.

Dominic didn’t like the looks that formed on the two men’s faces when they saw Matthew.

“You didn’t say one of them was a rep. Switch it off, they can track us through its bio-chip.”

“He’s not a replica,” Dominic said.

One of the men let out a long breath, “Please don’t tell me he’s one of those ‘reps have rights’ brigade. I’ll switch it off.”

He moved towards Matthew, but Dominic stood in his way.

The man shoved him and the next second he found himself pinned against a crate, a growling Matthew’s forearm pressed against his throat.

The other man drew his weapon and yelled.

“What the hell, is that a military rep!?”

Dominic was starting to panic, but still put himself between the weapon and Matthew. This elicited a growl from Matthew, but he didn’t let go of the other man.

“Please, does he sound or act like a replica?” he said, eyes almost crossing as he stared into the barrel of the weapon.  
It was Professor Rowe’s voice that burst the dangerous tension that was bubbling up.

“Simpson, put that gun away, he’s not a bloody replica, and Howard, get you wildcat under control, before he suffocates Hanson!”

The man holding the weapon slowly lowered it.

“What do mean he’s not a rep…?”

He trailed off and his eyes widened as the words sunk in, and his jaw dropped.

“Howard, your wildcat!”

Dominic jumped at the professor’s barked words.

He spun round to see Matthew still pinning the other man against the crate.

“Matthew, leave him,” he said, but he was ignored.

“Matthew, leave him!” he repeated in a much firmer voice, but still Matthew kept his chokehold on the man.

“Howard,” the professor said.

“He’s not a dog!” he snapped.

He moved closer, until his body was against Matthew’s.

“Matthew, I’m safe…leave him,” he said softly.

He watched Matthew carefully, seeing the wild look was still in his eyes.

“Matthew,” he said again and this time he saw the wild look start to leave those eyes.

“Safe?” Matthew asked.

“Safe,” he replied.

Matthew looked at him then…yes, those eyes no longer blazed with murderous intent.

“Safe is good,” Matthew said and finally moved away from the man, stepping back until he was between Dominic and the other man.

The man took a grateful breath and then moved away from Matthew, who growled at him.

“He’s…how…it’s not possible,” the man that had trained a gun on Dominic said.

“No time to talk about it now, we have to go,” Professor Rowe said, “Don’t stare at him …he bites.”

**********************

Once again it took precious minutes to persuade Matthew to get in the vehicle, his hostility to the two men not diminishing, and Dominic had to push him inside, with copious assurances that he was in no danger from the others.

Eventually they were speeding towards the city limits into the no-man’s land that separated the city from the one place Dominic really didn’t want to go; the place where Matthew was in as much danger as he was in the city…..the Outlands.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who or what is Matthew?

“What do you mean there was another energy spike? The thing is hardly ticking over.”

“I know, but there was…look.”

“But that isn’t possible, it’s been on stand-by for three centuries. It must be a glitch in the monitoring system. Keep an eye on it, I’m not contacting Central Control because of a glitch.”

“Yes sir…but what if it isn’t a glitch?”

“Then you better become a religious person very quickly.”

“Do you believe it sir, why they call it that name… it’s just a huge computer, right?”

“Believe what you like, but think on this. If it was just a big computer, why did they stick in the middle of nowhere and over a mile underground?”

*******************

Matthew was not happy, he did not like the two men; they reeked of danger. He’d refused to get into the vehicle until Dominic had persuaded him he was safe. But he still wasn’t happy, and he watched the two men as they drove.

“He’s staring again,” Hanson said.

“Ignore him,” Simpson said.

“Can’t, makes me nervous.”

“Good,” Matthew said.

“Howard,” Professor Rowe growled.

“Matthew, stop it.”

“No, I not like.”

“Does your boyfriend want a bloody nose?” Hanson snapped.

“Matthew, please,” Dominic said.

He sighed a looked away and out of the window and watched the desert speed by. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift.

“Matthew….come to me.”

He jerked awake, blinking in confusion.

“Matthew, wake up, we’re stopping for the night.”

He blinked again and yes, the vehicle was slowing, and the sky outside was darkening. That voice he’d heard hadn’t been Dominic’s; it sounded enticing…nigh-on irresistible.

Once they had stopped he wandered away from the others, but not too far…the dark held too many hungry eyes. He clambered onto the remains of a wall that had once protected the building inside and stared out at the sun that was now dipping below the horizon.

He closed his eyes, allowing the last of the heat to warm him. He took in a sharp breath when that voice came again, this time it was more insistent.

“Matthew…come home.”

**********************

Dominic stepped out of the vehicle and stretched. They had stopped at a deserted mineral reclamation plant; the walls would provide shelter from the wind-whipped sand and the drop in temperature.

He looked round for Matthew and saw him standing on the remains of a wall, silhouetted by the sun as it dipped below the horizon.

As he walked towards him, he was struck by how Matthew looked very much at home in this wilderness.

“Matthew?” he said as he approached, but Matthew didn’t respond to his name. He clambered onto the wall, and saw that Matthew had his   
eyes closed and his head was cocked to one side... almost like he was listening to something.

“Matthew?” he said again.

This time Matthew did register his presence and opened his eyes.

“You should come inside before it gets cold.”

Matthew blinked and then said, “I go home.”

Dominic frowned…did he mean the Outlands?

“That’s not your home anymore, like the city isn’t mine.”

“No, I go home.”

Dominic sighed, he wasn’t going to argue.

“Come on, I need to look at your hands.”

*******************

“Stop staring, Simpson,” Professor Rowe said.

“Can’t help it…he’s real. An honest to Foundation real life brunet.”

“That he is,” the Professor said.

“Then why are we taking him to the Refuge?”

“Because he’ll be safe there.”

“But he’s a miracle, the world should know about him.”

“And they will, but not yet. They want to make sure…”

The Professor broke off when Dominic appeared with said miracle.

“Found him then?” he said.

Dominic nodded, then said, “I take it by them you mean the Renewists?”

Professor Rowe sighed and nodded.

“He’s not a pawn in anyone’s game,” Dominic said as he grabbed the first aid kit.

“You may not think so, but there are those that think otherwise, and they’re not all as altruistic as you and I.”

Dominic gave him a sharp look before turning back and busying himself with Matthew’s hands. He let out a small gasp.

“What, is something wrong?” the Professor said.

“No….yes…I don’t know…his hands.”

“Are they okay, are the infected?”

“I, come and look,” Dominic said.

Professor Rowe was expecting to see infected skin, but what he saw was clear, clean and unblemished skin.

“That isn’t possible,” he finally said.

He went to grab Matthew’s hand, but Matthew snatched them away and glared at both of them.

“Matthew…please, let us look,” Dominic said.

Matthew shook his head and folded his arms, hiding his hands.

“A word please, Professor Howard.”

He pulled Dominic away from Matthew.

“That is not normal, not even cutting edge med-tech can do that. That’s beyond being a fast healer, didn’t you say his scans showed multiple breaks that healed correctly without treatment?”

“I was only guessing. I doubt he would have gotten any treatment…but I don’t know, he could have. Besides, he does have scars.”

“True, but let’s just suppose they weren’t life threatening. Hmm, when we get to Refuge, I need to look up something and get a better look at our miracle over there.”

************************

The small camp fell silent as they settled down for the night, but sleep eluded Dominic. Professor Rowe’s words echoed in his head…not normal. 

He sat up and looked at the shape that was Matthew. He’d refused to sleep next to him; Matthew maybe a miracle or something far less benign…but he could sulk like a five year old.

He sighed and lay back down, closed his eyes but opened them again when something yelped in the distance. He shivered then jumped when Matthew’s voice said in his ear.

“Be quiet.”

“What...why?" Dominic whispered.

“Desert dog, only bark when danger…wake others…we go.”

Dominic was about to say something else, when the quiet was shattered by the roar of an engine.

******************

“Marauders!” Hanson yelled as he rolled and fired off a couple of shots and dove for cover as a motorbike hurtled into the small camp; its lights blazing. It was followed by another, but it skidded to the floor as its rider was downed by a shot from Simpson.

Dominic could hear more engines and now shout from outside the building, but his attention was suddenly focused on the remaining bike as it slewed round in a shower of dust.

He couldn’t make out the features of the rider and Hanson was screaming in his ear to run for the vehicle. Somehow he managed to get to his feet and began to run.

He could hear more shouts and more engines, one sounded like it was coming closer as he ran. Even in his panicked dash he needed to know where Matthew was.

He suddenly stumbled and fell, and felt pain in his ankle. He managed to get to his feet but one foot wouldn’t hold his weight and he stumbled again.

Everything seemed to go in that slow motion that you saw in films. He saw the bike that had been pursuing him stop; then he heard the roar of its engine as the rider revved it. He saw the dust spewing from the rear tyre…saw the weapon the rider was holding...some kind of medieval looking club.

He saw the bike move, heading straight for him. He watched as it gathered speed and the rider raise the club.

Then he saw a blur of movement. He saw the bike slide away from him and the rider go down, the blur rolling with the rider.

A gunshot made him flinch and he took his eyes of the two figures and then he was being pulled by Hanson out of the building and towards the car. He saw Simpson and Professor Rowe ahead of him, and he saw more lights coming towards them…but where was Matthew?

“Matthew!” he yelled, but strong hands bundled him into the vehicle.

“Matthew!” he screamed before the door was slammed shut and the vehicle was speeding away from the building and from Matthew.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who or what is Matthew becoming?

“Turn this thing around!” Dominic yelled, but he was ignored. “Matthew’s back there!”

Still he was ignored and the vehicle was speeding further and further away…away from Matthew.

“They’re trying to take out the wheels!” Hanson yelled.

But Dominic wasn’t listening, all he cared about was Matthew. Screaming at them to turn round hadn’t worked, and there was no way he could jump out of the speeding vehicle….he was powerless.

“Bloody well get your arses here…they’re playing with us. Get here...now!” someone was yelling.

Dominic managed to look back…he could no longer see the building.

“Matthew,” he whispered.

********************

Matthew heard the marauders before the first one appeared, and when another one followed he had no choice but to move.

He heard a gunshot, one of his party must have brought one of the marauders down…but there was no time to crow.

He ignored the other marauder and looked for Dominic…there he was, he was running. Then he fell and when he regained his footing, he was limping.

Matthew snapped his head round at the sound of an engine revving; the marauder had come to a halt, and he was hefting his killing mace.

Somewhere deep inside Matthew’s brain, a calculation was made, one he wasn’t even aware of…the speed of the bike…the distance between Dominic and it…the probabilities of reaching Dominic before the marauder did.

All these calculation were done in the blink of an eye…and a decision made.

As the bike closed the distance between itself and Dominic, Matthew barrelled into the marauder just as he was raising his mace.

They hit the ground in a swirl of dust, and the velocity of the impact meant they slid into the shadows.

Matthew was on his feet quickly and he needed to be; the marauder was twice his size, and would have no problem breaking him in half.But the marauder’s size also meant he was slow…and again there was a calculation deep inside his mind…measuring the weight and the size of his opponent.

‘Speed against strength,’ the thought came unbidden into his head.

He ducked as the marauder swung the mace, missing him and biting a chunk out of the building instead.

He’d seen the blade the marauder had attached to his belt...that was his target…for now.

The marauder swung the mace again, and this time Matthew ducked under the swing and under the marauder’s arms, reaching out and snatching the blade before scurrying away.

The marauder let out a growl and abandoned his mace, and pursued Matthew, playing right into his strength.

‘Let him come to you,’ the thought came and he sunk back into the shadows, watching as the marauder moved towards him…then past him.  
‘See the weak spot in his protectives…there is the kill spot. You know how to kill…then kill.’

He adjusted his grip on the blade and with a silent snarl he moved. He used broken masonry as a leaping point and landed on the marauders back. Wrapping his legs around his torso he plunged the knife into the back of the marauders neck.

The marauder dropped like a stone, not even a whimper escaping his mouth… ‘kill swiftly and silently…..kill as many as you can.’

************************

Dominic was feeling slightly bewildered and horrified; one minute they were fleeing for their lives….having abandoned Mathew to what was probably a certain death. The next the marauders were gone, driven off by the three armoured vehicles that had appeared out of the dark.

Then they were back at the abandoned building, searching for Matthew. There was no sign of him, but there was absolute carnage…someone or several someone’s had killed…no butchered a dozen marauders.

Dominic swallowed down bile…marauders were the lowest of lows, but they didn’t deserve to be butchered like cattle.

One of the men who had rescued them was examining the one body that was separate from the others.

“Whoever killed them knew what they were doing…messy but quick. Except this one…this required skill and accuracy and patience, severed   
the spinal cord. I’d say this one was the first kill.”

“Its over-kill, that’s what it is,” Professor Rowe said. “But never mind that, where’s Matthew? Dominic, call out again, he might be within ear-shot.”

Dominic looked away from the pile of bodies and called out.

“Matthew!”

There was nothing but the echo of his voice in reply.

“Matthew!” he called again.

“I see something,” one of the men said and nodded towards the shadows.

The whole group suddenly tensed when someone moved out of the shadows.

“Sweet Founder,” someone said.

Dominic stared, not sure what he was seeing…it was Matthew; he was covered in blood.

Dominic moved forward…fearing that Matthew was badly, if not mortally injured. It was then that he heard Professor Rowe say.

“Dominic, stop.”

He did stop and looked back at the Professor, who was moving forward, two of the armed men moving with him.

“Step back, Dominic,” he said.

“What…why?”

“Because I don’t think that’s his blood.”

“Dominic?” Matthew suddenly said, then dropped to the floor.

*********************

There was so much blood, he felt like he was drowning in it….yet he did not feel sick at the sight of it, nor the smell of if…not even the taste of it. ‘Kill all you can kill’ was the thought that kept repeating in his head.

He only stopped when the thought vanished and the adrenaline that had coursed through his body finally decreased. He blinked and looked at the bodies in the middle of the derelict building.

‘Task completed, stand down’ was the next thought, then he heard the sound of more engines, but there was no thought to kill, but he shrunk back into the shadows.

He heard voices, but they did not sound like those that had been eliminated….eliminated? That was not a word he knew.

Then he heard a familiar voice, calling his name…Dominic. 

‘Non-threat…civilian’ another thought came.

It was as he saw Dominic that he questioned why those thoughts had come into his head. He began to feel dizzy with the confusion and the adrenaline withdrawal.

“Dominic?” he said…then all went black.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who or what is Matthew?

“Are you saying Matthew did this?” Dominic said, as he stroked the unconscious Matthew’s face.

“Who else could it be?” Professor Rowe replied.

“There’s no way he could…that,” he said, glancing over at the bodies that were now being buried.

“Then how do you explain all the blood and hardly a scratch on him?”

“No, it’s got to be the work of more than one person.”

Professor Rowe shook his head, “See that man over there,” he said and pointed to someone dragging a body.

“He’s ex-special forces, he did that sort of thing. He said they were all killed the same way. If there had been more than one person, the way they were killed would have been slightly different. This was the work of one person.”

“No, I won’t believe it.”

“Believe what you want, but they believe it.”

“So, what are they going to do?”

He could only watch as Matthew was placed in what looked like a prison transport.

“At least let me ride with him,” he’d pleaded, but had been refused; he was however allowed to   
travel in the same vehicle.

It was still dark as they set off and Dominic had no idea when they crossed into the outlands. 

He was too busy looking through the small hatch and keeping an ear out for any sign of Matthew coming round.

It was only when the sun started to rise that he realised how far they were into the outlands. He could see mountains and distant sparse trees. Wasn’t this the region that Matthew had been rescued from?

They were approaching what looked like another abandoned building, but as they got closer, he could see that it wasn’t. As large door began to open, he heard sounds from the back…Matthew was awake.

*********************

He threw himself against the metal door, not caring if he hurt himself; he wanted out. He could hear Dominic’s voice and he could feel the distress coming off him. That only fuelled his desire to get out and protect him.

He was about to throw himself against the door again when he heard hissing, and felt a burning in his lungs, before it went dark again.

The next time he opened his eyes, he could see he wasn’t in the metal box, but he wasn’t free either; he could feel the leather biting against his wrists. He could hear Dominic’s voice and a mixture of fear at being restrained and anger that he could hear but not see Dominic bubbled up and spilt over.

“Dominic!” he yelled and with a surge of adrenaline he actually managed to sit up, and the metal frame of the bed gave a metallic creak. He pulled hard and one of the restraints snapped, giving him more freedom.

He somehow managed to stand and the scrape of metal on concrete caused the voices outside to cease.

“Dominic!” he yelled again, seeming not to realise that he was dragging a heavy bed behind him.

A face appeared at a small barred window…then there were raised voices. The door was open and then room was suddenly full of people. But he only noticed one person, who was trying to shove his way through.

He saw Dominic being shoved back and he let out a snarl and he pulled again, causing the other restraint to snap and he launched himself at the person that had pushed Dominic. Only to hit the brick wall that was the two men that barred his way.

He ended up on the floor, under the two men, but he could still hear Dominic shouting and his anger flared again…he fought back.

*******************

“Stop it!” Dominic was yelling, but he couldn’t get near the melee that was happening in front of him.

Matthew had woken up and had started yelling his name. But he wasn’t being allowed near him…why wouldn’t they believe him that Matthew wasn’t dangerous, that he couldn’t have killed those marauders?

Then chaos had broken out; he wasn’t sure what had happened but at least half a dozen men piled into the cell. He took a chance and tried to push his way through. He was stopped by a large man, which was followed by a snarl and the sound of something snapping.

Then the air was full of cursing and snarls that could have only been Matthew.

“Stop this...please!” he shouted but was ignored and pushed out of the cell.

“Get hold of him!”

“He bloody bit me!”

“Then get a tighter hold on him!”

Dominic heard footsteps and then a voice rose above the chaos.

“What in Founder’s name is going on here!?”

That voice caused everyone except the two men struggling with Matthew to go quiet. Dominic looked at the owner of the voice then…it was Grayson Hayes, the leader of Renew, ex-general and the most wanted man in the world.

“Let that man up and everybody leave!”

“Sir, he’s dangerous.”

“I’ll be the judge of that, let him up and leave. Not you, Professor Howard. As I said, let him up, leave and lock the cell behind us. ”

“Are you sure, sir?”

“Just do as I ordered.”

“Yes sir.”

As soon as the two men let go of Matthew he was on his feet and straight over to Dominic, and began checking him all over before throwing his arms around him.

“Well that’s not what I’d call dangerous. But I never judge by a cover.”

Hayes looked Matthew up and down and suddenly grabbed Dominic’s arm and squeezed, causing him to let out a startled yelp.

Matthew growled and locked eyes with Hayes.

Hayes didn’t seem fazed by Matthew’s reaction.

“Now that has a sense of danger to it. Personally Professor Howard, I don’t care if he did kill those marauders, they are the lowest kind of creature. But I do care about the people that live here. So tell me, in your heart of hearts, do you think he killed those men?”

Dominic looked at Matthew, who was watching Hayes intently, there was a hard edge in his eyes that he didn’t like, and an unsettling thought entered his head.

“I didn’t want to think it…but yes, I think he might have. But I think he was only protecting me.”

Hayes nodded, seemingly unfazed by Matthew’s scrutiny.

“No-one here is going to threaten you, so I can see no reason why he should remain locked up or restrained. But there will be someone shadowing you at all times,” he said.

“Then you might as well keep him locked up, because he won’t like that,” Dominic retorted.

“That is how it will be. There are people that want to meet him, he is unique and there are so many question that need answers.”

****************

Matthew wasn’t happy, he didn’t like this place. His nerves twitched when he caught someone staring at him as they walked. And there were unbidden thoughts once more swirling around his head; words that he didn’t understand…’reconnoitre…collateral damage…strategic weakness.”

The thoughts stopped when Hayes spoke.

“I apologise for the staring, you are somewhat of a miracle.”

“How do they know he’s not a replica?” Dominic said.

“Word spreads quickly in a confined place. To them he’s a ray of hope, and end to the genetic dead end we are inevitably heading towards.”

“I am not lab rat,” he suddenly said.

“Of course. Professor Rowe has already informed me about your objections to his tests. I believe his words were ‘needs a bloody muzzle’ and ‘getting a rabies shot.’ You won’t be forced into anything…here we are.”

Every head turned as they entered and Matthew suddenly lost his nerve and hid behind Dominic.

“I’ll leave in the capable hands of my science team.” Hayes said and left.

********************

Hayes walked back towards his office and nodded at the man that fell into step beside him.

“Was that wise, he is dangerous.”

“Of that I have no doubt.”

“Then he should have stayed locked up.”

“No, we need him to willingly subject to the tests. We need to know what he is, if he is the key to that machine.”

“And what if he is. What will happen then?”

“Well that depends on whether the machine has already started to make its presence known and how human that young man still is.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The machine start to awaken......and it needs something.

The machine slept, but it slept with one eye and ear open. It was searching for a bio signature, and it had been searching for three centuries. 

Its programme ran its usual scan, searching for that signature; a very specific signature, amongst the millions of other bio-signatures.

For three centuries the scan had been negative, but it did not feel disappointment or frustration; without that bio-signature, it could not. So it continued its sleep and scan mode…until it did find that bio-signature. 

It analysed and compared it against the parameters it had been given; a perfect match...if not yet a complete component. Now all it needed was to draw the bio-signature to itself.

It knew the other bio-signatures that scurried around within it would notice the power increase, but it mattered not; they were important.

The machine knew it would have to be subtle at first, and the first thing was to learn the bio-signatures name.

With only a minute increase in power it searched through terra-bytes of data. It knew the bio-signature would be unique, so it wasn’t hard to find the information that it wanted. The bio-signatures name was Matthew.

It found what it thought would be the most persuasive voice and it called out to Matthew. It noticed there was no change in the bio….no, it must now be called Matthew, but that was to be expected.

So it made subtle suggestions when it sensed that Matthew was in danger, but it knew it could not control Matthew. That was not how the machine worked; there had to be symbiosis.

Deep within its core, away from the bio-signatures that scurried around inside it, the machine began to wake.

*****************

“I told you he wouldn’t do it unless you asked nicely,” Dominic said.

The person in the lab coat gave Dominic an ‘excuse me’ look.

“Ask him nicely,” Dominic repeated.

“Do as Professor Howard suggests, or do you want to be here another two days? “Professor Rowe said.

The other scientist looked at the person that was sitting on the stool, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

The scientist sighed, “Matthew, may I take another blood sample?”

Matthew looked over at Dominic, who nodded. He then stuck his arm out and smiled pleasantly at the scientist.

“I do not like white coats,” Matthew said as Dominic applied a plaster to yet another punch hole, for yet another DNA sample.

“Why do they hurt me?” he asked.

“Because you’re something that hasn’t existed for a very long time…someone who hasn’t existed for a very long time. They’re just curious as to how you came to be.”

Dominic knew that was lie the minute the words left his mouth; that wasn’t what they were doing, he was sure of it. He’d seen the way they had looked at Matthew, like he was nothing more than a lab rat.

“I want to go,” Matthew said.

“When they’ve finished these tests,” he replied.

“No… I want to go,” Matthew said and Dominic suddenly realised he didn’t mean from this lab.

Dominic shook his head, “I don’t think they’ll let you.”

“I go,” Matthew said again.

Again he shook his head. He wished he could say yes, but he had the sinking feeling, that they may never leave here. He was beginning to think it had been a mistake going to Professor Rowe… he should have just run, or Founders forbid, just driven Matthew back to the Outlands and let him go.

“We’ll talk later, somewhere more private,” he said quietly as another scientist approached, and the ‘ask nicely or he’ll bite’ game began again.

Eventually Matthew became uncooperative, in fact, downright intractable, and when he growled at someone for the second time, Dominic said it was enough.

****************

“I do not like the white coats,” Matthew said as they sat in what you could call the mess.

Dominic wasn’t dis-inclined to disagree with him.

“I do not like the eyes,” Matthew said.

Dominic frowned, “Eyes?”

“Always watching….eyes.”

Dominic looked round, there was hardly anyone in the mess, and their ever present escort was standing outside the mess doors.

“No-one is looking at you,” he said.

“Not people eyes,” Matthew said. “Eyes that whir.”

What…eyes that whir? Then it dawned on him, there must be surveillance cameras. He looked round but he couldn’t see any. So how could   
Matthew…? Wait he said whirs. Could Matthew hear them? But that was impossible, the servo-motors would be beyond human hearing.

He looked back at Matthew, who was now picking at his food, and Professor Rowe’s question came back to haunt him…what did he know about Mathew?

He was brought back from his thoughts by Matthew.

“Dominic, we go place where no eyes.”

“Yeah,” he said without really thinking. “Let’s go to our quarters.”

He tried to ignore their ‘escort’ but he could feel the tension coming off of Matthew, so he didn’t relax until he closed the door.

“No eyes, no ears,” Matthew said as he seemed to be doing what Dominic had seen in many a movie; it looked suspiciously like he was   
searching for listening devices. He really didn’t like the way this was starting to go.

“I go, Dominic” Matthew said.

“Matthew, you can’t.”

“No, I go,” Matthew repeated.

Dominic moved closer, looked Matthew in the eyes and placed a hand on his cheek.

“Please stop this, you’re scaring me. If you try and leave, I don’t know what they’ll do. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Matthew sighed and leant into his palm.

Dominic kept looking into Matthew’s eye and saw acquiescence. He let out a relieved breath, hoping that it would be the last time it was mentioned.

“Well, I’m tired and I am going to bed. You coming?” he asked.

Matthew said nothing but did follow him into the small bedroom, and waited his turn for the bathroom…all in silence.

They lay in bed but Matthew was still silent and there was space between them.

“Matthew,” Dominic said. “Don’t be like this. I would love to tell them to go to hell and to let us go, but that’s never going to happen. I’m sorry and I wish I’d just taken off and gone our own way.”

He didn’t know if he was going to get a response from Matthew, and was pleased when Matthew closed the space between them and turned on his side.

Those lapis lazuli eyes seemed to glow in the half-light thrown by the light from the living area.

“I am sorry, I do not like underground…no sky…no sun.”

“It’s okay,” Dominic said and smiled when Matthew move even closer.

He could feel the desire coming off of Matthew; this bond thing certainly had its good points.

“Lay with Dominic….love me,” Matthew breathed.

********************

Grayson Hayes, ex-general sat in his office, going over the preliminary result from the tests that had be done on Matthew. Whoever or whatever Matthew was, the test said he was human.

But Grayson Hayes was never one to take things at face value. There was something about that young man; not the fact that he may or may not have single-handily killed a dozen marauders, nor the fact the he was the direct descendant of Jonathon Bellamy. Nor was it the knowledge that Professor Rowe had told him seemed to pour out of his mouth.

All these things were incidental…no, there was something inherently off, but he couldn’t place it…not yet anyway. But whatever it was, it must be something significant for the Board to have plucked him from the Outlands, and he didn’t think it was because he was the only living breathing brunette to have be born in over three hundred years.

His com-unit beeped.

“What is it?”

“Sir, we have a request for a com-call.”

“So, pass it to my aide.”

“No sir, it’s not coming from one of our own. It’s on one of the Foundation dark com-channels. It’s the Chairman of the Board. He wants to speak to you.”

“Does he now? Alright, put it through to my private line and put it through the filter.”

“Yes sir.”

Hayes waited for the com-unit to go online.

“Chairman, what a pleasant surprise.”

“I’m not calling to socialise…you have something that belongs to the Foundation.”

“Do I, and what would that be?”

“You know very well what it is.”

Hayes smiled slightly before speaking.

“Even if I knew what you were talking about, do you really think I would hand over something that you valued that much?”

“Hayes…"

Hayes cut the Chairman off…yes, there was definitely something about that young man...but what?

****************

Matthew was just on the verge of falling asleep, when the voice came again. It had been in his head constantly ever since the marauder attack…calling for him to come to it…along with images of how to leave this place.

“Matthew…Matthew, come to me.”

And he found he could not resist.

A few moments later he was dressed and slipping out of the room, following the voice.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matthew is heading for his destiny...but at what price.

Matthew froze when he heard footsteps and shrunk back into the shadows. He held his breath as two soldiers walked past his hiding place. It hadn’t been easy getting this far, avoiding soldiers and civilians alike.

He had ‘neutralised’ as the voice said their minder and several soldiers that he had been unable to avoid. How long it would before their bodies were discovered he didn’t know, but he would take advantage of the time he did have.

The voice told him which direction to go and he found the emergency exit shaft and began climbing. It wasn’t an easy climb as there were access points and he had to avoid being seen or heard.

His arms ached from the constant pull of climbing up a metal ladder, but he eventually came to the hatch that was the exit. He grunted with the effort it took to twist the handle, but the satisfying sound of the hatch opening was his reward. 

He climbed out and after closing the hatch stood and looked around. In the distance he could see the mountains; his home. He turned again and could see the stretch of the desert, the moonlight giving it a façade of benevolence.

But neither of these were his destination, his lay to the west or so the voice told him. But the lands to the west were full of marauders and outcast tribes.

There were nightmare creatures that had been born from the dark days, or so the tales he’d overheard at the campfires said.

But it was to the west that he had to go, as the voice began calling to him again, and he followed.

***********************

Dominic woke to the feeling that something wasn’t right. He instantly felt the lack of Matthew and not just from the bed; this bond thing still felt weird.

The clock told him it was still night, so Matthew probably wasn’t far. 

He slipped on a tee and his trousers and walked out of the bedroom and fell over something on the floor. For a few seconds he was confused, sleep still prevailing over his senses. In the dark he could see a shape on the floor...no, what is it Matthew?

Trying not to panic he stood and fumbled for the light. It revealed a body...one that wasn’t Matthew; it was their minder, and he was very much dead, his head at an unnatural angle to his body.

“Matthew, what are you doing?” he whispered. He had to find Matthew before anyone noticed their man was missing…find Matthew and get out of here, before they did something lethal in retaliation.

But that wasn’t to be as when he opened his door, he found Hayes and Professor Rowe, along with half a dozen armed men on the other side.

“Professor Howard, would you care to tell me how your charge manage to get out of this base?”

Less than ten minutes later he found himself riding in an armoured vehicle with Hayes but under tight security; otherwise at least four weapons trained on him.

“Then it was good fortune that I listened to my second-in-command and had an internal tracker placed on him.”

Dominic frowned, how had they….of course, when they tried to give him barium to drink before they did a scan. It must have been sheer luck   
that it was swallowed, since Matthew had spat it out.

“Where is he heading?” he asked.

“West.” Hayes replied.

“West, but his tribe live in the mountains, not that he’d go there. But it would be familiar ground,” he said.

“Quite, the only things out there are Marauders, the outcasts and the dead zone…unless…could he be…surely they wouldn’t.”

He turned to the man that was his second-in-command.

“Bring up the satellite feed from the last sweep.”

Dominic looked at the screen, he could just about see the images on the screen. There was blip that could only be Matthew, as it was moving. 

Then there was a blinking light, one that wasn’t moving.

“They have, for Founders sake.”

Dominic was confused, “What…what have who done.”

Hayes turned to him, “You bloody precious Board…they’ve built a base right over the Deus Machina.”

It was the second time he’d heard that name; this time he wanted an answer.

“What is that?”

He didn’t like the answer he got.

“It’s a computer….more than a computer, and it’s been dormant for over three centuries, because they know how to turn it on, but not how to control it. They didn’t have the key or the control circuit.”

A chill ran through Dominic.

“That’s right, the key isn’t a code or a password or a programme…the key and the control is a person, a person with the right genetic code….a biological circuit.”

He didn’t want to speak the next words, for fear of the answer.

“You think Matthew is this key?”

Hayes nodded.

“And what happens if this key or circuit is introduced?”

“Then the machine will switch itself on, come to life.”

“And what happens then?”

“No-one knows for sure,” Hayes said.

“And what happens to Matthew, if he is this key or control circuit?”

He didn’t like the look on Hayes face.

“If our understanding of what information we do have is correct, the control circuit becomes part of the machine, and any data or programme we think is uploaded into the machine.”

“And what about Matthew?” he said in a shaky voice.

“The physical body isn’t needed any more…it will be discarded.”

Dominic swallowed, then said, “You mean Matthew is going to die?”

“Yes,” was all that Hayes said.

****************

The machine could sense the control circuit approaching; the final piece of itself that it required to fulfil its programming.

Soon, three hundred years after its creation, the machine would become what it should have been…..it would become sentient….it would become its namesake…..Deus Machina…the God Machine.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matthew is changing.....

Matthew scrabbled up the scree, the loose material making a sure purchase impossible. He could hear his pursuers behind him…but at least they would be having the same problem as he was.

He hadn’t expected to encounter a party of mountain Outlanders this far west…but then again, if they were searching for him, they might. 

He tried to avoid them but he’d been spotted, and the cry of ‘devil’s child’ had rang out.

Now he was climbing for his life; he did not want to be dragged back to die. He was still heading west…always west…west was safety.

If he could evade them for long enough, he would enter the Outcasts territory, and not even seasoned warriors would venture there, unless it was en-mass. He heard a cry and the sound of someone falling in a shower of scree.

He ducked instinctively when he heard the whistle of a cross-bolt, and he jinked to the left as it bounced off the scree. His sudden movement sent rock and dust flying and it unbalanced him.

He lost his precarious footing and began sliding down and straight towards the warriors. Their shouts of triumph at seeing his rapid descent turned to ones of alarm as a wave of scree flowed towards them.

All Matthew could do was ride the wave and suffer the stinging cuts from flint-sharp rocks. The only consolation was his pursuers were suffering the same fate.

The jolt when he hit solid ground jarred already aching bones and muscles. He instinctively curled into a ball as more scree tumbled over and around him. Choking dust filled his mouth and his nostrils and he couldn’t breathe, but he had to endure it.

The sudden quiet told him that it had finally finished, but now he had another problem; no doubt some, if not all of the warriors might have survived

He uncurled and was quickly on his feet, spitting out the dust that was threatening to clog his throat. He could feel the grit in his lungs and in his eyes, but any surviving warrior would also be at the same disadvantage.

He also knew their guard was down…to them he was just a lowly slave, who would cower at the first sign of a blow. But from the minute he’d stood the training that Gabriel had drilled into came to the fore; that and the voice inside his head was telling to ‘go on the offensive.’

He reached for the blade that he’d taken from one of the soldiers that he’d ‘neutralised’ and using the still swirling dust as cover he began listening.

He heard several shouts, they were obviously trying to locate each other…a ‘tactical error’ the voice said. He began to move towards the nearest voice…thankful for the breeze that was still whipping up dust.

He saw a dark shape ahead of him, the shape was much larger than him and he caught a flash of something, even in the dust; this was his tribe…and the flash of something had been…he let out a snarl.

He turned away from the figure, he had something very special reserved for that person. He quickly located another warrior and wasted no time in attacking or despatching him, before disappearing into the dust cloud.

He felt nothing at the blood he’d spilt, they were ‘the enemy’ the voice said as he stalked another voice. He knew his tactical advantage wouldn’t last long, as the wind was dying away.

He struck again, blood now coating his hand as it ran down the blade, but his time had ran out and before the dust settled he moved; he had a target in mind, the horses. Without the horses they had no advantage.

He could hear the angry shouts as they discovered the bodies of their fallen comrades, but he was only interested in the horses. He found then hidden in a small gulley and was about to set them all free, when the voice said ‘to keep one as transport.’

He didn’t argue and chose the strongest looking animal, grabbed what supplies he and the horse could safely carry as he had the feeling that his destination was still some distance away, and he still had his vengeance to wreak on the person that he’d deliberately let live.

‘Move out…you will lose your tactical advantage’ the voice said…no it sounded like a command, and he obeyed, letting the other horses loose as he went.

*****************

Dominic watched the red dot on the screen, for a while it had seemed to move only slightly, almost as if Matthew was undecided as to which way to go, but then the dot began to move, and at a pace.

They were still at least an hour behind, as they had abandoned the vehicles, the terrain too tough, even for military grade tyres. They were now on horseback, something that surprised him; he had no idea that Renew were as organized, to the point of having bases this close to the badlands.

He wasn’t happy about being in the Badlands, it was a place that only the most experienced soldiers went, and usually in numbers. It was full of well…monsters and savages...cannibals as well, if you believed the tales told by people that had ventured into it.

The monsters he knew were just mutated animals, their ancestors the victim of the last Great War, before sanity and reason had finally prevailed, and the savages…just more Outlanders. 

As for cannibals, that was always a possibility; the history books told of the desperate times after the world had nearly destroyed itself; what people had to do to survive.

His trust in the Founders may have been dented somewhat, but they had brought order to the chaos and formed a new society. It wasn’t perfect, but what was.

There were certain faction in the cities that wanted a perfect society and wanted to try and civilise the people that lived and survived in the harsh land away from the gleaming spires...the Outlanders.

He himself had thought they were savages that need civilising… until Matthew came into his life. Okay, he may be some kind of bio-key, but he was human and an Outlander and despite the way he’d reacted to things, he saw that underneath the ‘savage’ Outlander exterior was a gentle soul…surely there must be other Outlanders out there that were not savage or cruel.

He stretched in the saddle and was glad when they party suddenly halted.

“Vultures,” Hayes said. 

They started off again, this time at a canter, only to stop when they came across why the vultures were circling.

There were several bodies, lying in a pool of their own blood.

The vultures scattered when one of the soldiers approached the bodies and examined them. He ran back to where Dominic and Hayes were waiting.

“Outlanders, throats have been slit…looks like the same person killed them…your little wildcat.”

Dominic felt bile rise…no Matthew…please.

A rider who had been sent ahead to scout came cantering back.

“Tracks heading west…looks like there were several horses, but only one set of prints head west. But there’s a whole bunch of footprints following…seems like your little psycho didn’t get them all.”

Dominic bridled at the man calling him psychotic, but he had the sense not to say anything; he needed these people to help track and bring Matthew back.

“Then I believe we keep going…there’s a few hours of daylight left,” Hayes said, and the whole party set off again…heading west and going deeper into the badlands.

******************

The machine was pleased at the progress it control… no Matthew had made. He no longer hesitated in eliminating anything or anyone that stood in his way; its manipulation of his biological programming was slowly turning Matthew into what he should be.

Matthew was becoming a soldier… he was the trigger, it was the gun and the world was its target.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have things taken a tragic turn.....?

Dominic sat as close to the fire as he could, it wasn’t overly cold, but he felt cold. Professor Rowe had sat him down and handed him a tablet. 

The files on it were the results of the tests and scans they had done on Matthew.

As a scientist he understood it, bio-engineering was his chosen field; but his work was cutting edge.

But Matthew was something else, his brain was like nothing he’d ever seen or could imagine. His whole brain was riddled with extra neural pathways, ones that shouldn’t even exist. But what made him go cold was that the scans he’d seen when he was still working for the Foundation showed no such pathways.

He highly doubted that they had grown in the short time Matthew had been with him, which meant that the scans he’d seen could not have been Matthews; he’d been deceived.

His faith in the Foundation was crumbling fast. Did they know about Matthew all along? Was Matthew even a miracle…what Matthew was at the moment was a killer.

But that didn’t matter to him, he loved Matthew and he didn’t want to lose him. Whatever he was or was turning into, he wouldn’t abandon   
him. 

He looked up when he heard a distant howl. What creature had made that noise, and was Matthew hearing the same?

He sighed and returned to his small tent, unaware that hungry eyes were watching him.

******************

Matthew shivered and pulled the blanket closer. He could start a fire but the distant howls and the sounds of things in the dark stopped him, he did not want to attract the attention of whatever predators were out there; so he suffered the chill.

He was just dropping into sleep when he heard…..not the sound of claws or paw, but the sound of human feet. He rose quickly and placed his hands over his horse’s nose and mouth, not wanting it to snort or whinny.

He strained his eyes and ears to try and locate the owners of the footsteps. The slight breeze brought a scent to him that made his lip curl in   
a silent feral snarl. There was the smell of death…cannibals.

He ignored the voice that told him not to follow, an instinctive hatred overrode any command. If you came across cannibals, it was your duty to kill them; even as a slave he’d been expected to defend the village on the rare occasion they dared leave the Badlands and raid the mountain villages for food.

He stopped when he sensed the cannibals had stopped. The clouds cleared and moonlight revealed the cannibals to him. It was large party, definitely a hunting party, as each warrior had rope looped round their bodies, and one or two of them had killing clubs.

They were crouched on the brow of a small rocky outcrop. There must be a camp down below, if it had been a lone traveller they would have killed them and be eating them by now.

He had to see who they were targeting, so he skirted around the rocky out-crop and climbed his own. He still ignored the voice and flattened against the rocky ground, not wanting the cannibals to see him.

There was camp and quite a large one; oh well, his curiosity was sated and he was about to turn away when he saw someone very familiar…Dominic.

“Retreat,” the voice said, but he ignored it, this was his one.

“You will retreat,” the voice said again, this time in that commanding tone.

He flinched as it hurt his head, but in a flash of anger, and for the first time he answered back.

“You do not command me,” he snarled.

He could see the cannibals were inching closer to the camp, so he moved.

*******************

Dominic tried to settle, but the tent was just that little too small, and it felt claustrophobic; not that he was going to sleep, what with the noises of the night. That, plus the fact that they could be attacked by marauders, outcasts or even worse, cannibals.

He froze when he heard a noise outside his tent, and a ripping sound came from behind him. 

He tried to call out but a hand clamped over his mouth.

“No noise, Dominic.”

His eyes widened…Matthew.

The face that went with the voice appeared.

“We go,” he said.

He shook his head.

“We go…cannibals…we go,” Matthew said.

Dominic pulled Matthew’s hand away.

“No.”

He could see the frustration and puzzlement on Matthew’s face.

“Dominic…we go,” he said once again.

“No, we have to warn the others.”

Matthew’s eyes narrowed and with what sounded like a resigned sigh, he said.

“You stay…I warn,” and slipped out of the tent and Dominic didn’t move.

*****************

Matthew would have let out a snort of disbelief at the lack of sentries and the sheer overconfidence and arrogance of the city-dwellers. But he was silent and he was looking for a particular tent…there.

He didn’t bother with being subtle as there was a light on inside. He walked straight in and smiled at the fact that the man inside wasn’t startled.

“I thought perhaps you would try this.”

“I not here for that…here to warn. Cannibals are not far from you…attack soon. I here for Dominic.”

He didn’t wait for the man to reply, he turned and left, heading towards Dominic’s tent. He could hear movement in the other tents; they were warned.

He was only a few yards from Dominic’s tent when the cannibals attacked, their yells and war cries filling the air.

Men appeared from their tents, not with guns or rifles, but with knives and long blades. This would be close quarter fighting, bloody and violent.

He whirled round at the sound of the cannibals and soldiers clashing and that was a costly mistake.

Above the sound of men fighting, he heard a cry of alarm. He spun round and dragging Dominic out of his tent was one of the cannibals.

With a hissing snarl that would have matched any mountain cat he flew at speed, straight towards the cannibal.

The cannibal was twice his size, but that didn’t matter. The cannibal dropped Dominic, who didn’t move. Matthew didn’t bother with a blade, he went straight for the cannibals throat, and like a mountain cat, sank his teeth into it.

The cannibal reeled back, totally surprised at having a person attached to his throat…but only for a few seconds. Strong hands grabbed at the body of his attacker and ripped him away.

Matthew was on his feet instantly, spitting out blood and bits of the cannibals flesh. He went straight for the cannibal again, but this time the cannibal was ready for him.

He swung his killing club and it connected with Matthew’s chest, and he went down, and didn’t move.

The cannibal let out his own snarl and strode over, raising his club to deliver the killing blow… …but it never came.

Instead he dropped his club and looked down in surprise at the red blooming on his chest, before toppling forwards.

*******************

“Dominic…Professor Howard, give me the gun.”

Dominic blinked and looked at the object in his hand, like he’d never seen a gun before. \He dropped it and a hand reached over and picked it up.

“Let’s get you somewhere warm, shall we?”

“Matthew, where’s Matthew.”

“Matthew is…well, Matthew is hurt.”

“I want to see him.”

It was Hayes’ face that came into view.

“Dominic, you’re in shock. You need to keep warm.”

No, I want to see Matthew.”

Hayes looked to his right and then back at Dominic.

“Dominic…Matthew, he’s not just hurt…he’s dying.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tragedy occurs....a lie is told, and the dead...they stay dead...right?

“I can’t do anything, Hayes. I’m in the middle of bloody nowhere. Even if I had the equipment, I’m not qualified to operate. He’s drowning in his own blood, I’m helpless here!”

The medic went back to listening to the lungs of his patient. His breath was becoming more and more fluid filled; he was surprised he hadn’t died yet.

He didn’t bother listening again and now he could hear quiet crying from behind him. It could only be Professor Howard. He didn’t understand the ‘bond’ thing, but he knew what it was like to lose a loved one.

“Professor Howard...Dominic, you should be with him. I’m sorry,” he said as the other man appeared and knelt on the floor beside him.

He rose and stepped back to join Hayes, who looked at him; he shook his head.

“I think we should leave them alone.”

********************

Dominic couldn’t believe what had happened. He thought he’d saved Matthew’s life when he’d picked up that discarded gun and killed the cannibal.

Now he was kneeling on the floor, inside a tent, in the middle of what he considered to be hell, and the person he loved was dying; the miracle with the startling blue eyes that had stolen his very soul.

Matthew’s laboured breaths were like stabs to his heart. He didn’t care that he’d killed who knows how many people…he was still Matthew. If he’d been a cold-hearted murderer, he wouldn’t have risked capture or his life to come back for him.

“I don’t know if you can hear me, but I wish you had stayed away.”

He jumped when Matthew’s eyes opened and looked at him. A pained frown crossed his face.

“D-dominic?”

“I’m here.”

“We go now,” he said, his voice weak.

“Yeah, we go now,” Dominic replied, not stopping the tears.

Mathew coughed and blood lined his lips and trickled down to add to the life giving liquid already staining the dirt. 

Dominic wiped the blood away with the edge of his sleeve.

“Why tears….we go now…be happy,” Matthew said and reached out a hand, and Dominic grabbed it; it was shockingly cold.

Matthew was finding it hard to speak now, as his breathes became shallower and less frequent, Dominic could hear the rattle of fluid as it slowly drowned his love.

“Yeah, happy,” he replied, forcing a smile.

“I am tired,” Matthew said.

“Sleep then,” Dominic said and leant forward and gently kissed blood-stained lips, the bitter iron tang like acid to his own.

“Hmm,” Matthew said and took a breath and exhaled.

Dominic waited for the next breath, but it never came and he knew that Matthew was gone. He started into those oh so blue eyes and saw the light die. He let out a loud sob and lay his head on Matthew’s shattered chest.

He didn’t register the soft voice, nor the hands that gently pulled him away. He didn’t hear the words between two people.

**************

“We can’t take the body with us, it’s a three day ride back to the outpost. In this heat….”

“Right, but I don’t think Dominic will let that happen.”

“I can sedate him and keep him sedated. We can tie him to his horse.”

“Do that, I’ll get a burial detail together. Can’t even bury him six foot under…poor bastard, not even a decent burial.”

The medic watched as in the distance Hayes laid the last rock on the tiny mound, and started saying a few words. He sighed and turned his attention back to the now sedated Professor Howard…how were going to deal with the grief-stricken man; they had at least three days to think of something.

*****************

Dominic woke with a start…Matthew…Matthew was dead…and why wasn’t he still with his body?  
It finally registered that he wasn’t inside a tent, in fact it looked very much like the bedroom they had shared back at the base…wait, it was.

He was about to get up when Hayes walked in, accompanied by Professor Rowe.

“I want to see Matthew,” he said.

“I’m sorry, but we’ve already buried him. We don’t have the room to store bodies,” Hayes said.

“Then I want to visit his grave.”

Hayes nodded.

“Why wasn’t I there and why don’t I remember getting here?”

“We had to sedate you,” Professor Rowe said. “You went crazy when we tried to move you away from his body.”

Dominic nodded, “When can I see his grave?”

“Get cleaned up and have something to eat first...then we can go.”

The graveyard wasn’t elaborate, but when you were in a desert you couldn’t exactly have acres of green grass and trees. 

Dominic looked at the rows of neatly piled rocks and simple headstones; all bearing names of loved ones or lost friends and companions.

He followed Hayes and they stopped at the newest grave. There was a headstone and carved on was only one word ‘Matthew’

“We didn’t know what else to put, so we left it blank, so you could put something on there, if you wanted,” Hayes said.

“Can you give me a few minutes?” he replied.

“Sure,” Hayes said and walked away to join Professor Rowe who was waiting by the entrance.

Dominic knelt down by the pile of neatly stacked rocks and reached out to touch the headstone.

“I’m sorry, Matthew, I should have just let you go that day. At least you might have had a chance at some kind of life, I’m sure you would have   
found somewhere safe. I don’t care what anyone else thought you were…you were Matthew to me, not some kind of component in a giant computer. I love you, my little miracle…always will.”

He stood then and wiping away his tears he walked away.

******************

The scavenger lifted its head and sniffed the air; it could smell death. It could have had its fill of the food it had found, but it wasn’t large enough to take on the huge scavenger that was currently tearing into a carcass. It knew others would soon follow, so it went in search of food that may not have yet been noticed.

It had smelt the enticing stench as it had trotted up a slope, and it stopped in front of a pile of rocks. It snuffled around them and shook its head.

It could smell death…yet something did not smell right.

It let out a yelp of surprise when the rocks shifted; then jumped back when a hand appeared. It scuttled backwards but didn’t run away; it had smelt food, so it wasn’t moving.

Its fur twitched as what was definitely live prey emerged, covered in sand and dried blood. It smelt the blood and its hackles rose, and it unsheathed its claws.

The live prey didn’t seem to have noticed it was there, so it let out a snarl. The live prey snapped its head up, and stared directly at it.

That was a challenge and the scavenger took a step forward. It didn’t normally tackle live prey, but it was hungry. 

It made a decision and leapt forward…….minutes later a yelp rang out and the scavengers down below looked up for a second before returning to their food.

The live prey dropped the body of the scavenger and turned wild eyes towards the west, and without another glance at the dead beast, he began walking.


	23. Chapter 23

The machine did not panic, it was still just a machine, so it did not know what panic was. But even if it could, it would not have. It knew there were contingencies in place if something happened to the key before time…..so it did not worry or panic when the bio-signature blinked out…it just waited.

When the bio-signal blinked into existence again, it could sense a change; the key was no longer distracted, it was coming and it was with purpose.

*******************

Dominic sat in the small atrium, but he wasn’t really looking at the flora. His mind was elsewhere…that pile of rocks that held his heart. He sighed, his heart was heavy…god he missed Matthew, and it had only been a week.

“Dominic?” someone said, it was Professor Rowe.

He sat down next to him.

“I’m sorry it ended like it did.”

Dominic didn’t answer, just looked at his feet.

“Listen, Matthew died protecting you, you can’t ask for a greater act of love than that.”

Dominic did look up then, “Right, he wouldn’t have had to die if you hadn’t gone after him like he was some rouge replica.”

“Dominic…..”

“No, all you and Hayes and the Foundation saw was someone you could use in your stupid political bickering. You don’t even have the balls to fight it out. Instead you find someone unique and all you wanted to do was use Matthew. Well it cost him his life….you murdered him.”

“Dominic, you can’t say that.”

“Yes I can, if you hadn’t persuaded me that we’d be safer here, he wouldn’t have been poked and prodded like some lab rat. You know, he was pulled from hell and he was put through another. I should have listened to my instinct and just ran with him. So excuse me if I’m being judge and jury.”

He stood then and left and Professor Rowe didn’t stop him. No-one stopped him when he walked out of the base and headed towards the cemetery.

He sat next to Matthew’s grave, head bowed. He let out a shuddery breath. Suddenly it hit, the grief that he hadn’t been able to show. He let out a wail that only the dead would hear.

“Why did you have to come back…you should have run as far you could…run from here…run from your tribe, gone anywhere. I’m not a religious man, but I hope that whatever gods you believed in will grant you a place in their heaven.”

He was silent then and let the tears fall, let them spill on the dusty rocks that held his little wild cat…his soul-mate.

*********************

Matthew had been climbing down for what seemed like forever. His arms and shoulders, in fact, his whole body was aching, and not just because he was climbing down a metal ladder into a dark abyss.

He had been on the move since his ‘resurrection’ and he’d had another bloody encounter with one of the residents of the Badlands. But he kept going, tired as he was; the compulsion to reach whatever was at the bottom increasing.

He could sense that he was near the bottom and it was backed up by the appearance of red lights at regular intervals, and an increase in warmth.

It was another long stretch of time before his feet touch solid ground, and he found himself facing a door that had no visible handle or lock. He reached out and touched the smooth surface, only to draw it back sharply.

He looked at his palm and he saw a pinprick of blood…then the air was filled with the sound of gears grinding and what had been a closed door, opened.

Cool air brushed his face as he walked through the door and he paid no mind when it closed behind him. Inside he found metal flooring but the walls were rock; yet they felt warm….why was that?

He jumped when for the first time in a while the voice spoke.

“You will understand soon…this way.”

He walked for what seemed miles, the voice talking to him all the time. He also began to feel a buzz of energy, and he no longer felt tired.

He entered a room that contained a chair. It looked like a city-dweller chair, with lights blinking on and off…he suddenly felt apprehensive.

“Do not be afraid,” the voice said. “This is where you belong…sit.”

He could not disobey and he sat, not sure what was going to happen.

The voice spoke again, softer this time.

“I apologise but this will hurt.”

Suddenly metal restraints shot out and wrapped round his wrists, ankles and his head. He tried to move but he couldn’t.

There was a hiss and wires appeared like electric snakes and he cried out when they began bury themselves in his skin.

When the pain stopped he found he was struggling to breathe…then he heard a voice, not in head this time.

“Begin activation sequence in five…four…three…two…one.”

Then all he knew was excruciating pain and his screams echoed out of the room and down the long corridor.

The pain went on for an eternity but suddenly it stopped and when words filled the air again they didn’t come from the air, they came from Matthew.

“Activation sequence complete….begin calibration programme. Countdown to activation of Final Protocol in T-minus twenty-four hours.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matthew isn't Matthew anymore....

Dominic was woken by his bed shaking…what the hell? It couldn’t be an earthquake, this wasn’t an earthquake zone. He got gingerly off his bed once it had stopped moving, dressed quickly and then found himself in a crowded corridor.

He had to fight he way through to the control room, where he found Hayes, Professor Rowe and assorted scientists.

“What that a quake?”

“We’re not sure…felt like one. We’re just waiting for reports from our other bases,” Hayes said.

Hayes stopped talking and appeared to be listening to someone.

“What, that’s not possible…are they sure…even the cities?”

Dominic frowned, Hayes looked shock.

“It was tremor, four on the Razer Scale…and it was worldwide.”

“That isn’t possible,” Professor Rowe said.

“Well, it happened, and guess where the epicentre was…a mile from that Foundation base.”

“Was there any damage or people hurt?” Dominic asked.

“No, apparently it was too deep, just terrified the whole damn population. We need to get to that epicentre,” Hayes said.

He turned to his second-in-command and said, “Call in the heli-jets and get a squad together.”

“Yes sir.”

They all froze when the lights and all the display screens flickered. Then on every screen words began to be typed.

‘Calibration Test Level 2 Running- Infiltration of all systems in progress.’

“What the hell is going on, are we being hacked?”

“Sir, it’s not just us. I’m monitoring the Foundation and public channels, It’s happening on every system.”

Then the screens flickered again and all the original images returned.

Hayes turned once more to his second-in-command.

“Tell those pilots to get a move on. I think out worst nightmare has just become a reality.”

Professor Rowe looked at him, “The God Machine…you think it’s that? But Matthew is dead.”

“Well, it’s a computer, perhaps it had a back-up. But however it did what it did, we need to try and stop it somehow.”

Dominic was totally confused, but he found himself in the same heli-jet as Hayes and Professor Rowe, although he wasn’t sure how he could be of any help. But he did want to see this God Machine, wanted to see what they believed Matthew had been part of.

******************

The machine had never felt…strange that word, felt. Then again it didn’t know what feelings were; most of its vast AI remaining dormant, waiting for its key.

Now it was flooded with emotions as it integrated with its key…with Matthew. It yearned to see the face of its key, so it began to build a construct so that it could see.

A beep told it that integration was complete, so it withdrew the wires and released the bonds, and began the process of waking its newest component.

****************

“Matthew,” the voice said. “Wake up, Matthew.”

Matthew groaned and opened his eyes slowly, to find a man staring at him.

The man smiled and said, “There you are, are you in any kind of pain? I apologise if you are.”

He shook his head, still confused by what was going on, as the man continued to speak.

“I thought a human male would be a pleasing form for you to interact with,” the man said. “I don’t have a name yet, you can chose one for me, if you like.”

Matthew blinked and then suddenly it came to him.

“You’re the machine?”

“Well, I’m the interface, if you like to call me that.”

Images of specifications and blueprints suddenly flashed through his mind, yet he didn’t seem surprised, just confused.

“Scary, isn’t it, all that knowledge. You have access to everything in my database…well, every part of me. But you’re part of me and I’m part of you, so I guess we’re each other. My knowledge scares you, but the emotions from you scare me. I guess we’ll learn together.”

“I’m not scared,” he replied. “Just confused, because I feel different.”

“Because you are different. You’re not that Matthew anymore, you are what you were designed to be.”

More images and words came to him, and they now flickered across his eyes.

“I was genetically engineered.”

“Yes, and it’s taken far too long in my opinion. And I must say how much you look like our creator...outstanding. But I digress, Level Two configuration is complete, I have access to all systems.”

Matthew let out a breath, yes he felt different, but it was good different; he felt powerful.

“Yes, enough of the social niceties, begin Level Three Configuration.”

“Level Three initiated. Do you wish to see the data for Levels One and Two?”

“Yes, thank you, put them on visual display.”

A holo-screen appeared and he studied the data. His old self would have stared at the jumble of numbers and would not have known what they meant. But now it was like the simplest of puzzles.

“Hmm, Level One didn’t reach the required result. Recalibrate and increase by twenty percent, I want to see what disruption it would cause, the more confusion the less chance of an organised retaliation.”

“Do you wish a specific target?”

“Not necessary.”

“Do you wish me to continue with Level Three?”

“Yes.”

“Final Protocol is in T minus sixteen hours. Level Three now in progress. Level One recalibration test will begin in T minus…”

The construct paused, then said, “Perimeter alert.”

“Show me...ah, figured it out have they. Deploy internal defences.”

Activating internal defences….deploying cya-sarin gas…death within three minutes of exposure. Do you want to deploy cya-sarin to the rest of the internal areas of the base?”

“Casualty percentage?”

“Ninety percent.” 

“Adequate…proceed. Show me Level Three Defensive/Offensive Weaponry….good. Are the Harvester drones online?”

“Yes, when do you wish to begin harvesting genetic material?”

“Let Level One do its work, then deploy the harvester drones. They have their parameters installed?”

“Yes, Level One initiation in one hour….all drones are powering up. Casualty rate within base at sixty percent and rising…heli-jets   
approaching from the west.”

“Monitor them, if they come too close deploy two viper drones and bring them down.”

“Monitoring…casualty rate within base seventy-five percent and rising. Heli-jets have veered away, turning north.”

“Ignore them…show me all military bases within a 50 mile radius. Prepare viper drones for air strike. I don’t want any more coming this way.”

“Casualty rate within base eighty five percent. Personnel are evacuating the base, cya-sarin is ineffective in open air.”

Matthew growled, “Are external defence systems operative?”

“Afraid not…it has been three centuries. I couldn’t send out maintenance drones without getting noticed.”

“Ignore them, they won’t survive Level Three anyway. Deploy maintenance drones, get them working. Now, I have a lot of data to process, maintain perimeter alarms, they’ll probably try a counter-attack, deal with it how you see fit.”

He sat back in the chair and took a cable and finding the port that the machine had placed during his integration, plugged himself back into the machine.

The construct gave a little sigh as it felt the stronger connection between the key and the machine.

The machine willingly gave access to all of its files to its key and once more the construct gave a sigh then fell still as the machine went back into a semi-dormant state.

But within it programmes were being run and deep inside the caverns beneath it, machines that were designed to destroy began powering into life.


	25. Chapter 25

Hayes watched as the three Foundation heli-jets landed; he was about to side with the opposition.

A man in a general’s uniform alighted from one of them and walked right up to Hayes, but he didn’t salute.

“Long time no see, Grayson. You look well.”

“You too, Andrew. Still mad at me for going over to the other side?”

“Nope, that’s politics, not my beef. But I do have a beef with whatever is fucking with us and I don’t like being lied to. The Joint Chiefs are not happy with the Foundation, they knew about this God Machine.”

The general then saw Dominic standing to one side, talking animatedly with three of the scientists that he’d brought with them.

“So, he’s the one that ran off with the Boards prize?”

“Yep, and he’s not up for grabs, and their prize, if they want him back, they’re going to have to dig him up.”

“Right, that’s a blow.”

Hayes shook his head, “Not really.”

The general didn’t say anything to that, but said instead.

“I take it you know about the base that sits on top of that damn thing.”

Hayes nodded, “Sneaky.”

The general shrugged, “Problem is, we lost contact with it a couple of hours ago. When we sent a drone out to take a look that went off radar too, but not until we got these pictures.”

He handed over a set of pictures and Hayes let out a breath.

“Are those?”

“Dead civilians and soldiers…no sign of a firefight.”

“Chemical attack?”

“We’re not sure, we need to get onto the base, and your men are very good at getting into places where they’re not wanted.”

Hayes nodded, “Okay, but if this is the God Machine, it’ll be hell getting in there.”

“That’s why I’ve brought the best techs we have. If we can’t destroy it straight away, I want it disabled until we can destroy it.”

“Should be fun,” Hayes said.

“Just like the old days then,” the general said, then smiled.

Hayes returned the smile, “Yeah, looks like we’ll be getting our asses shot at again.”

**********************

Dominic wondered why they had turned away from the mountains and were heading north. When they had landed he thought they were going to approach on foot, but then he saw more heli-jets approaching, with Foundation markings.

He watched as a general walked up to Hayes, but then he was distracted by his name being shouted. He blinked in surprise when he saw Tom, Chris and Morgan hurrying towards him.

“Dominic, I thought you were dead!” Tom exclaimed as he hugged him.

“Your face is all over the news, they think some nutter had done you in,” Chris said.

“You ran off with that Outlander, didn’t you…I knew it,” Morgan said.

His three friends stepped back and looked round.

“Yeah, where is he? The Foundation are going to want him back,” Tom said.

“Matthew, his name is Matthew and they can’t have him back.”

“Why, Renew keeping him are they?” Morgan said.

“No, because he’s dead,” Dominic said bluntly.

They looked at him, then they hugged him as he felt tears sting his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” they all said.

Dominic shook himself, not wanting to dwell on Matthew’s death, “So, they brought you here because of this super computer?”

All three of them looked at him.

“Mate, this thing, it goes way beyond a super computer,” Morgan said.

“This thing is like all of those conspiracy nuts nightmares rolled into one. We’ve only just started looking at the schematics and programming,” Chris said. “I can’t believe this thing was built three centuries ago.”

“Don’t tell me, the Foundation kept it secret for the good of the people?” Dominic said. “Quell surprise.”

“Yeah, the brass are fuming over it. This thing has an AI the size of a small town, even AI’s now aren’t that big,” Morgan said. “They didn’t have the tech back then.”

“Guess they did,” Dom said.

“But that’s not the creepy part, according to what I can make out, the AI needs an interface, a human interface…a genetically engineered human interface.” Tom said.

“But it gets creepier,” Chris said. “I been reading the notes left by the people who worked on it. Something went wrong and the interface they were going to use never got used. You can read it in here.”

Chris handed him a folder, an actual paper filled file. He flicked through most of the pages, it was mainly reports and technical data. He noted that the creator of the machine, a Professor Jonathon Bellamy who was supposed to operate the machine was killed in a car accident on the way to work.

“So it was never activated?”

“No, it’s was put in a stand-by mode, but that’s not the creepy part,” Tom said. “Turn the page, look at the photo of the guy.”

Dominic suddenly felt very uneasy as he turned the page; he nearly dropped the file as a very familiar face started back at him….it was Matthew.

“That’s impossible,” he breathed.

“Unless Matthew is the result of three hundred years of genetic manipulation,” Tom said.

Dominic looked a Tom, and it slowly dawned on him.

“That would explain it….how he knew things, genetic memories could be passed on as part of a genetic code.”

He sobered, “But it doesn’t matter, he’s dead, the machine must be running some kind of automated programme.”

“Dominic…read what it says under the photograph, it’s a personal entry from Professor Bellamy, and it just gets even creepier.”

Dominic started to read. 

“Something is going on….I’m not sure what. But I suspect the military are becoming increasingly impatient with the lack of progress I’m making. They want to re-programme the machine so that it will take anyone as an interface…but I can’t have that. So I reprogrammed it myself, it will only accept myself of I suppose what you would call of clone of myself.

I hope my family understand why I’m going to do what I’m going to do. At least they’ll get the insurance money. 

This way they won’t be able to take any of my DNA and grow themselves a version of myself, if they ever get that far with cloning…well I’m hoping.

I never intended the machine to become a weapon of destruction, I never intended it to become what its becoming.

I blame myself, I should have been more careful about who I let help me, but it’s too late. I only hope that what I’ve done will be enough.

I won’t let them corrupt it like they did with the Lazarus Project, my nanites were never intended for such a twisted thing but as they say, the road of good intentions…..”

There was no more, like Jonathon Bellamy had been disturbed, and Dominic’s mind began to put pieces of a nightmarish jigsaw together….it couldn’t, please , could someone have twisted what was a life- saving invention.

He ran towards Hayes and the general, they both turned towards.

“The machine, it’s not running some automated program…..Matthew is the interface.”

“Dominic, Matthew is dead,” Hayes said.

“No, look,” he said and showed them the final entry in the file. 

“Explain son,” the general said.

Dominic showed them the picture of Jonathon Bellamy. “Look familiar,” he said to Hayes. “I think that machine with all of that knowledge in   
its AI has done something that we can’t. I think it manipulated scientific research…genetic research…cloning….nanites. It lost the original interface…this man, but it must have been partially sentient, and it didn’t want to be shut down.”

They looked at him, not sure of what he was saying.

“The machine, it’s spent three centuries making plans. It made itself another interface, a perfect genetic copy of its creator.”

“But like I said, Matthew is dead,” Hayes said.

“You don’t get it…the nanites, what were they used for, back in the Last War, general?”

Then the general understood, “They were used to bring soldiers back that were as good as dead, and keep doing so.”

Hayes suddenly spoke into his com.

“Go to where we really buried Matthew. It’s not far from here, dig it up…now!”

Dominic blinked at that, but this wasn’t the time to be angry at another lie.

There was a long and uncomfortable silence before Hayes spoke again.

“Are you sure….dear god.”

He looked at Dominic.

“The grave is empty and there are footprints, and they’re heading west.”

Dominic felt his stomach roil……Matthew was alive… he’d been resurrected, and what should have been a miracle had become something from hell instead.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Final Protocol is approaching....but has fortune offered a chink of light for the world.

“Matthew.”

Matthew opened his eyes and blinked several times to focus them. He removed the cable from his neural port, blinked again, then stood.

The construct was standing in the same place it had been when he’d gone under.

“Re-calibration is complete, do you wish to proceed?”

He nodded, “Are the harvester drones ready?”

“See for yourself,” the construct said.

The VDU re-appeared and an image of hundreds of drones appeared.

“Remember, only those that meet the parameters are to be harvested.”

“I know,” the construct said.

Matthew raised an eyebrow at the slightly annoyed edge to its voice.

“I do know my own programming.”

“Of course, I apologise. Start Level One….just long enough to cause chaos, minimal casualties, for now. They need to be out on the streets.”

“Proceeding…final protocol activation in twelve hours.”

*****************

Dominic tried not to look at the bodies strewn around him. He didn’t know how they had died, but he could see that it hadn’t been pleasant. His stomach churned, not just because of the death around him; it was the thought that and he still couldn’t believe it that Matthew was part of this. He had to believe that Matthew was an unwilling participant, forced by some god awful genetic engineering to become part of this God Machine.

He was determined to find Matthew and rescue him from it.

He could hear Professor Rowe talking.

“Looks like cyanide poisoning, but with something else added.”

“Wasn’t an aerial attack then,” he heard Hayes’ voice. Then there was a pause before he spoke again.

“What…when…no, not here…no, we have to keep going…casualties….bloody hell.”

Dominic was about to turn when the ground beneath his feet began to vibrate.

“Quake!” someone yelled, then there was another yell.

“Up….look up¬!”

Dominic looked up and his jaw fell…what the hell? There were drones, hundreds of them, but not like any drones he’d seen. They were a least man-sized and what was that underneath?

He narrowed his eyes as one seemed to be larger than the others….no, not larger. His eyes widened when he realised it was descending and rapidly…and it was heading straight for him.

He heard shouts of alarm from his friends and Hayes, who had seen it too.

Then, the voices were lost in the sounds of gunfire and the whine of the drone’s engine, and his heart racing as he ran.

He’d only gone a few feet when he felt intense pain in his shoulders and suddenly his feet weren’t touching the ground…then there was a sharp pain in his neck and then nothing.

*******************

“Matthew, one of the harvesters has returned.”

Matthew frowned, “Already, the nearest conurbation is two hundred miles away.”

“A template that fell within the parameters must have been in the vicinity.”

“Check the on board system, just in case it’s faulty.”

“Checking, it’s not faulty. DNA scan confirms Howard Dominic Professor, cyber geneticist.”

Matthew’s eye widened slightly and he took in a sharp breath.

“Are you alright, Matthew? Your heart rate has increased.”

“I’m fine. I will go down and make sure the stasis chambers are online.”

“There’s no need, they are working fine.”

“Still, I will go down and check. It won’t be long before the harvesters start returning.”

The machine didn’t argue; it knew who Dominic Howard was, it knew everything that Matthew knew. It did not mind, Matthew was still human and he would need company after the Final Protocol. The spike in hormone levels and the change to his chemical make-up told the machine what sort of company, but it surmised it was more than sexual satisfaction.

It was not concerned, unless this Dominic tried to interfere; then it would be a different matter.

**************************

Matthew shivered slightly as he walked into the stasis level. Soon this place would be full of…what had the machine called them…templates. Every society needed them, no matter what kind of society it was; they were the building blocks of the new society he and the machine were going to build.

He knew that above him there was chaos; he was linked in with every news channel. 

He also knew it probably wouldn’t take long for the Foundation to work out what was happening and there would be a counter-attack; pointless as that would be, their machines of war were no match for the vipers, and their troops would be no match for the reapers.

It was all proceeding to schedule and once the Final Protocol had begun it would not matter.

He stopped outside one of the chambers and sent a command to open it, blinking slightly at the gases that escaped as the door opened.

His heart raced again when it cleared and he could see him...his one. He reached out and touched an already cold cheek.

“My Dominic.”

He looked up at one of the cameras and said, “Begin resuscitation…I want him to be with me.”

The voice of the machine answered, “Beginning resuscitation.”

“Have one of the server drone take him to my quarters.”

“Yes, Matthew……harvesters are returning…long range sensors indicate increased military activity.”

“Ah, that was quick…let them come.”

“Level Three Defence system activated, vipers on a holding pattern, reapers activated, awaiting go command. Final Protocol Activation in ten hours”

***********************

Dominic felt like someone had stuck his head inside a re-fridge unit and turned it down to freeze. He let out a groan and cracked open one eye, he opened the other when he realised he wasn’t outside anymore….in fact he was on a rather comfortable bed.

He then got the feeling that he wasn’t alone, and it was confirmed when a voice that belonged to someone who should be dead said in a soft tone.

“Dominic.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the purpose of the machine is revealed...but will it achieve it's ultimate programme.......

Dominic sat up and slowly turned his head and saw what should be a ghost. He shook his head…no, this wasn’t his Matthew; he was whatever the God Machine had turned him into.

“You are safe here, Dominic,” Matthew said as he moved into the bedroom.

He stopped when Dominic got off the bed and put it between them.

“You’re not my Matthew.”

“I am, you can clearly see that I am.”

“No, you were dead. I saw you draw your last breath.”

“Yet I am here.”

Dominic shook his head, “No, you look like Matthew, you sound like Matthew, but you’re not Matthew.”

Matthew sighed, “You will see that I am…in time. Till then, let me show the machine that saved me. Oh, by the way…your associates can try and access the machine…but we can’t of course let that happen.”

Dominic suddenly went cold…not just as the images of those dead bodies, but the fact the Matthew had said ‘we’ not I. He had to do something, just in case Hayes and the general actually made it to wherever they were targeting. He was certain that their intent was not only to disable the machine but eliminate what they saw as its control.

That meant Matthew…meant they would shoot him on sight.

He didn’t want that to happen, but he needed to know if there was a Matthew in there that he recognised; a Mathew that was worth saving.

“What happened to all of the people on this base?”

“They were redundant, we are self-sufficient, no need for human assistance.”

Again Matthew had used ‘we’ instead of saying that the machine was self-sufficient.

“They died in a horrible way.”

“Cya-sarin, very effective.”

“Matthew that was murder.”

“Actually, it was self-defence,” another voice said.

Dominic whirled round and came face to face with another man.

The man proceeded to ignore him and speak to Matthew.

“All the harvesters are back, but some came back without cargo.”

Matthew frowned, “How many and why?”

“Half a dozen and probably because there was no viable cargo with in that area. They are not programmed to search outside their designated search area.”

“No matter, there will be enough. I will just have to take up the slack.”

“Level Two is now complete. Final Protocol is at Level Three calibration. I need to go off-line for a while to attain full alignment. I have increased internal security by twenty-five percent whilst I am off-line.”

“Don’t worry, I will be fine, myself and Dominic have plenty to keep us occupied.”

“Okay, but if you need me?”

The man looked at Dominic, the look almost saying ‘I dare you to do anything.’

“I will call you,” Matthew said.

The man nodded and giving Dominic that look again, he turned and walked away.

“You have to forgive him, he is programmed to protect me.”

“Programmed?”

“He’s a construct, a physical manifestation of the machine.”

Dominic blinked, “But he looks….”

“So life-like…I know, had me fooled for a few seconds. However, now is not the time to discuss cybernetics, Final Protocol is in twelve hours.”

“Final Protocol?”

“Hmm…in twelve hours.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“Oh but it is, it’s going to be catastrophic but glorious.”

Dominic didn’t like the gleeful tone in Matthew’s voice; and his heart sank a little.

“People are going to die…more people, aren’t they?”

“Oh yes…a lot of people…well humans are going to die. Actually…well basically, the whole human race is going to die, except for you and those that have been harvested….well they are going to die, just not out there.”

Ice ran through Dominic’s blood…this wasn’t Matthew, not the Matthew he’d started to know…the Matthew that had looked at him in wonder; he wasn’t human any more….he was just like the machine.

No….he had to keep trying, trying to find some spark of humanity.

“Billions of people are going to die…are going to be murdered.”

Matthew stopped walking and turned,“Its evolution, one species has to give way to another. We’re just a few millennia ahead of the curve. Man was the dominant species...man built machine…machine becomes sentient…. man goes the way of the Neanderthal…..machine becomes the dominant species…evolution.”

Dominic didn’t want to ask the next question, fearing the answer.

“Does this extinction include me?”

Matthew’s eyes widened; the first semblance of a human reaction Dominic had seen.

“No, not you…never ever you.”

“So, it’s okay to kill billions but not me…why?”

“It just is…okay.”

“Does the machine think that as well?”

“The machine does as I tell it…it knows why.”

“And why is that…is it because you really don’t want to be the last human left alive?”

“No…it’s not that.”

Dominic could see the tension in Matthew…so he kept pushing.

“Why is it then….oh, I get it. You can’t bear to see your soul-mate die. But there are thousands of soul-mates…no millions of soul-mates out there. What makes me so special...I’m only a human after all, and according to you and the machine I should be extinct?”

He thought he saw Matthew shudder, but whatever reaction was starting it was stopped by a voice saying.

“Calibration complete…there is increased military activity world-wide. I believe they have realised what is happening.”

“Then activate the reapers and deploy the harbingers…full hell-fire payload. Come Dominic…come and observe the end of humanity and the rise of the machine.”

Dominic could only follow…once again his heart sank. He thought he was getting to Matthew, until that infernal machine had spoken.

As they entered what looked like a large room with what looked like an examination table at one end, he saw the man…no, the construct, who was standing in front of a large display screen.

“Enemy aircraft approaching…..twenty-five clicks to base.”

“Deploy one squadron of harbingers….let’s see how good they think they are.”

“Deploying…………..”

Then everything went dark.

“What?” Matthew and the construct said together.

Then a more mechanical voice filled the air.

“Warning, primary support programmes are down. Interface will shut down in five…four…three…two…shutting down.”

Dominic jumped when Matthew let out a short cry and went to his knees.

“Interface will reach critical condition in five minutes.”

The construct looked at Dominic.

“What have you done!?”

“It’s humanity…we’re not ready for extinction yet.”

They both looked over when Matthew let out a choking gasp.

“No…you don’t know what you’ve done. You’ve turned off life support systems…you’re killing him.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to write this final chapter, but I was debating with myself on the ending of this, but went with it. I hope you like it.

Matthew was happy to see Dominic; he may be part of the machine, but he was not a machine. Life after the Final Protocol would be different…and lonely, or it would have been if there had been no Dominic.

He knew that Dominic was unhappy at what he and the machine had done and were going to do, but in time he would see…he would understand. 

Now as the Final Protocol approached, he wanted Dominic by his side; even if the machine didn’t seem to like him. Was it jealous?

But for now he was concentrating on the armed forces that were heading his way…well he was until the screen in front of him went dead, and he was immersed in a world of pain and confusion, and the fact that he could not breathe.

*****************

Dominic was frozen by shock….killing him? How could shutting down the machine be killing him?

Then it hit him like a tsunami, that voice had said interface…and interface was part of a program…no, that meant that Matthew wasn’t just working with the machine, he was part of the machine…which meant…..

His muscle unfroze at that thought and he made to go towards Matthew, but found himself flying through the air and landing painfully against the wall.

“Stay away from him,” the construct snarled. “Emergency protocol…override code Delta Seven Five Six, activate alternate power source.”

“Override code accepted…alternate power source coming on line.”

Dominic felt the floor beneath him vibrate, then he was bathed in bright light again. He looked over, expecting Matthew to be getting to his feet...but he wasn’t.

“Matthew?” he heard the construct say.

Matthew didn’t respond to the query and the construct moved closer and knelt down next to him.

“He’s been damaged…they tried to kill him…kill us…..humanity,” it snarled.

Dominic blinked as he heard anger in the construct’s voice. He tried to get up but his head was ringing and a wave of nausea and dizziness floored him. He could only watch as the construct picked Matthew up.

“They think they have stopped me…too late, the Final Protocol has been initiated. I do not need the interface.”

Dominic once again tried to get up, wanting to follow and try and stop whatever was going to happen, but once again he was defeated. He leant against the wall, taking in deep breaths, willing the dizziness and nausea to go away.

He could hear the construct through the speakers; it was ranting, very much like an insane person….was the machine insane? If it was at its heart an AI then had three hundred years of being alone with itself driven it insane?

“Get up Howard,” he said to himself and forced himself up, and on unsure feet and unsteady legs he slowly made his way towards what was the control centre. He began to panic when he saw the door closing but he wasn’t fast enough, and he collapsed against the door.

The voice of the machine rang out what was going to become a death knell for humanity.

“Final Protocol entering Stage Four.”

“No…no…Matthew!” he called and pounded on the door.

He jumped when his com came to life…it was Professor Rowe.

“Howard…Dominic, can you hear me!?”

He shook his head to clear it, “Y-yes.”

“Thank the Founders…what the hell is going on down there….it’s going to hell up here. Why has the power come back on?”

“M-matthew, he…you were right…he’s not… was the key….but the Machine’s in charge now.”

“Dominic, you need to get out of there, they’re going to nuke the base!”

Dominic frowned…nuke….but if they nuked…..? No…..that would kill Matthew as well.

“No…they can’t…you have to tell them.”

“Sorry……just get out of there,” Professor Rowe said. “You have about…hell, you have ten minutes...move Dominic.”

“No….Matthew.”

“Howard,” another voice broke in; it was Hayes. “Leave now, leave him…you can’t save him.”

“No…”

He ripped the com from his ear and once again hammered on the door and then let out a shout of surprise and pain when the door  
suddenly opened and he fell through.

His ears were assaulted by noise, the sound of many voices and what sounded like weapons fire. But above it he could hear the voice of the construct; it sounded calm and un-panicked.

“Go on, keep fighting…waste what precious time you have left.”

His attention was redirected by a small movement to his right and he saw a minor miracle…Matthew. He was moving, but only slightly, but his eyes were open.

Dominic looked over at the construct but it was too involved in destroying whatever they were throwing at the base from outside. He crawled over and managed to haul Matthew to a sitting position.

“Dominic,” Matthew managed to say; his breath laboured. “You should go…I know what they….the bombs.”

“No, you can stop it, just stop the final stage.”

Matthew looked at him but his eye were glazed and it looked like he was struggling to think.

“Can’t…damaged here,” he said and pointed towards his head. “Can’t save myself….can save you.”

Dominic frowned and just for a moment he saw the Matthew that had existed before he became part of the machine.

The construct’s voice distracted Matthew for a second when it shouted, “Really, nuclear weapons….shields up.”

Dominic heard something behind him and suddenly felt something metallic grab him and he was pulled away from Matthew and out of the room at speed; it was one of the Harvester drones, and it was going up.

“No…no….Matthew!”

****************

Matthew watched as the drone grabbed hold of Dominic….he waited, he had to give the drone time.

When he received the signal that the drone had left the subterranean part of the machine and had started it flight to safety, he let out a sigh….it was done.

He drew in a breath and said, “Override Protocol Delta Five….shields down and lock.”

The construct turned away from the screen and looked at Matthew.

“No, what have you done!?” it screamed.

“I love you, Dominic,” Matthew said as he exhaled the last breath he would take, and the last thing he heard was the roar of a multitude of death as it rained down.

*****************

Dominic had no idea where the drone had dropped him, but he didn’t have the strength to move.

But he must have been far enough away, as all he saw was the mushroom cloud as it bloomed. He instinctively knew he was in no danger; the nukes were designed for maximum destruction but minimum damage to anything but their target….smart bombs.

He would have laughed at the absurdity of it if he was overwhelmed by grief…Matthew was gone, along with the construct and the huge machine.

That unique, one of a kind human….more precious than any gold was gone, and along with it his heart and his soul.

*******************

Deep underground, in a place where the bombs had not touched, a body was placed in the core of the machine and quietly a first but then with a louder hum…the last flicker of life in the AI brightened. 

********************

Two Years Later

The planet had been in dis-array for at least a year afterwards and Dominic had been swept up in helping to re-organise.

There had been a coup……not a bloodless one; the Foundation did not want to give up its power.

Now Dominic was the head of a new cyber division, tasked with making sure that no-one would ever make a machine like that ever again. 

He’d flown over what was left of the base, the ground nothing but molten glass.

But he knew that underneath it, buried under tonnes of rock and metal was the only person he would ever love.

“Sir,” a voice said.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Something odd is going on with the Intra-net.”

“What do you mean odd?”

“I don’t know….”

Suddenly every screen went dark and the lights went as well, but only for a few seconds. But when the screens flickered back into life,  
something was being typed on the screens.

Dominic watched as numbers scrolled across the screens…..unsure of what was going on.

“Sir, something is, I don’t know how, but something is rewriting the base code.”

“Then activate the anti-virus Nanites.”

“I can’t sir….it’s everything. It’s overriding and rewriting every programme…the whole system…worldwide.”

The screens went blank again…then words were typed that chilled Dominic’s blood. 

“HELLO DOMINIC……I AM MATTHEW…... I AM ALIVE…... I AM THE MACHINE.


End file.
